Mercedes-Benz shows digital dashboard for new E-Class at CES 2016 (pictures)

Mercedes-Benz will unveil its updated E-Class model at the Detroit auto show starting January 11, but at CES 2016 we are getting an early look at the car's dashboard electronics.

Wayne Cunningham

Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.

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Wayne Cunningham

Jan. 7, 2016 11:27 a.m. PT

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The dashboard displays for the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class are being shown here at CES 2016 in Las Vegas. There are two 12.3-inch LCD panels, one for the instrument cluster and one for infotainment and navigation.

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While this is like previous E-Class cars in having a controller on the console for choosing navigation, music, phone contacts and other functions, these steering-wheel-mounted controls are new. The glossy black component is actually a solid-state touch sensor, which lets you drag across and vertically to scroll through menus.

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The instrument panel, showing virtual gauges, is completely configurable, with different displays for the tachometer position. Here it shows an efficiency display.

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With the steering-wheel controller, you can change the right-hand gauge to show navigation.

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Even better, you can get into the system settings and completely change the look of the instrument panel. These black-and-yellow gauges are intended to give the panel a sport look.