I’m not quite ready to fully trust autonomous driving.
I’m talking about the kind where you can take a nap while the car does the driving, like in many Tesla models. I prefer to stay highly aware and conscious of all the unpredictable things that can happen while driving. Just the other day, I noticed a truck had skidded to a stop and was sitting diagonally across the road, its front blocking one lane and its rear blocking another. That confused drivers in both lanes, who had to skid to a stop as well.
I’m not sure how the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 would have handled that, mostly because I was driving my personal car at the time. However, I can guess that the lane-change tech, known as Active Lane Change Assist, in the vehicle would have kicked in and the car would have made a lane change on its own.
I was quite impressed with this driver assistance technology. To make it work, you need a specific driving scenario. For one, you have to be on a highway and driving between 40 and 112 miles per hour. I can only assume that top-end speed is intended for drivers in Europe, where sections of the autobahn have no speed limits. In short, this tech is designed for highway driving. Clear lane markings are required, and both Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC (commonly known as adaptive cruise control) and Active Steering Assist must be activated. Oh, and the AMG GLC 43 also needs a clear path to make the lane change.
Watching it happen is pretty fun. The car automatically turns on the turn signal and slides over perfectly—no need to hold the steering wheel. In several cases, I tested the tech in heavy highway traffic, and the car not only detected if a vehicle was in the adjacent lane but also monitored approaching cars. You can see all of this in real time on the display above the steering wheel, which shows icons for your vehicle and nearby vehicles.
I loved how smooth the lane changes felt, and I never panicked or felt the need to take control back. It quickly became a normal part of driving and something I’ll miss, as it felt as intuitive as cruise control. You set your speed and keep driving, and the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 senses when it’s time to change lanes, either to the left or right. In many cases, the car noticed vehicles ahead in my lane and effortlessly glided over to avoid them.
For long trips, this feature is a godsend. You don’t have to constantly change lanes on your own or second-guess whether to switch or stay in your lane. The car’s sensors can detect approaching vehicles from behind more accurately than you can with your own eyes. In one instance, I thought the vehicle might need to abort the lane change, but the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 had already assessed the speed of surrounding vehicles and merged seamlessly.
The best thing about Active Lane Change Assist is that you eventually forget it’s even on, which is when safety tech really shines. After a while, you barely notice it’s enabled. In my own car, I found myself missing this feature—manually changing lanes started to feel outdated.
I hope more vehicles start incorporating lane assist features like this. Combined with the other advanced tech in the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43, it made driving both safer and more streamlined.