[andrew_xlb]

Hi All,

I am a completely newbie, so please be gentle!

I am waiting on delivery of my A 220D AMG Line, with premium plus pack - I remember definitely adding the advanced navigation package when I ordered, but I think I may have missed the driver assistance package - Does anyone know if there is an option to have this functionality retro-fitted please? I am imagining that it relies upon cameras etc, so is more complex than a simple software update at the dealership, but am clinging to the hope that my spec or even the base model includes the hardware necessary..?

Any help much appreciated!

Many thanks!

 

[tastiestemperor]

Are we talking about the lane-departure system, the blind-spot assist or the semi-autonomous driving?
Cause for the lane-departure system you need a camera placed on the windshield. And if you don't have it, then in the worse case you have to replace the whole windshield..

Blind-spot assist, requires the new side-mirrors and additional camera'. Unless you already have for example 360o camera.

For semi-autonomous driving, I really don't know. But you would need steering wheel sensors, to detect the hands and much more.

I only know some about the lane and blindspot because its almost the same as previous models.

 

[StackH]

Worth asking MB or your dealer, but I doubt it very much. For example, I think the driving assistance package includes the blind spot warning which would mean a change of wing mirrors at the very least. And as you say there are probably additional cameras and/or sensors required for the lane changing stuff.

 

[JB-A45]

I would doubt it very much tbh however if you havent got it or indeed cant retro fit it I wouldnt beat yourself up about it!!! its not a game changer in spec and imo i wouldnt even tick that box when spec'ing a car up

 

[AThirtyFive]

In addition to the above, you'd probably need a motor on the steering column for the autonomous steering

 

[Big_D]

In addition to the above, you'd probably need a motor on the steering column for the autonomous steering

A motor of some sorts is already there if you have the Premium pack, as the car can park itself. But I’d imagine that more sensors are needed, including one in the steering wheel to detect if you’re holding it.

 

[Southwestwall]

I imagine the missing equipment would be the additional camera(s). Parktronic can motor the steering and IIRC it can also detect driver intervention.

.

 

[Foxy]

Have you asked your dealer if your car has reached the cut off point? If it hasnt then it's possible to modify the factory build.

 

[andrew_xlb]

Hi all, thanks for all your help...my car arrived this week and I popped by my local dealership who confirmed that the assistance package is not able to be retrofitted.

Thanks anyway, I love my new a220d AMG ??

 

[tastiestemperor]

Well I'm gonna say that your dealers statement is false. While its true that Mercedes dealers won't retrofit options, its not impossible to retrofit the assistance package.

Braybrooks in the UK can probably do it, or Steve at MBenzNL can retrofit it. Those guys are your best options for genuine Mercedes retrofits.

But again its gonna be a pricey option.

 

[AThirtyFive]

It would be interesting to know how expensive a retrofit? Not for me, I have it, but just interesting to know what’s involved in a retrofit and how much...

BTW, I love the driving assistant pack, it’s far exceeded my expectations as to how effective it actually is

 

[tastiestemperor]

Can't give you a price on that one. I've read on one Mercedes forum that one guy retrofitted Distronic Plus by himself by buying the parts from Mercedes and Ebay/Junkyard and didn't spend more the 1500USD for the parts. But for the whole package you need, lane assist, blind spot, distronic plus and maybe presafe with brake assist.

So yeah if you got time you can maybe get it for less then 5k, but any third party garage will do it for and this might be a shot n the dark. I guess 7-10k.

I mean I have only done retrofits for Ambient lighting and this was around 1k in parts, where they would charge 2.2k.
(Please don't quote me on prices)

 

[AThirtyFive]

So yeah if you got time you can maybe get it for less then 5k, but any third party garage will do it for and this might be a shot n the dark. I guess 7-10k.

I know you’re only guesstimating, but Wow, it’s good but not that good ?

 

[drcarrera]

It'd be cheaper to spec a new car with it and then trade in the current one against it when it arrives!

 

[AThirtyFive]

It'd be cheaper to spec a new car with it and then trade in the current one against it when it arrives!

Very good point!

 

[PANYAN]

It'd be cheaper to spec a new car with it and then trade in the current one against it when it arrives!

Sorry but no it would not i tried that and Mercedes offered me £7400 less than i paid for my car less than 6 months old.

 

[AThirtyFive]

Ouch! Cars eh...

 

[PANYAN]

Ouch! Cars eh...

I was quoted a better price by We Buy Any car £1350 more

 

[Saunders]

I can't imagine the driver assistance being anything but horrendously expensive to retrofit; it is so embedded into the system, quite apart from the extra hardware required.



Driver Assistance has been available in the UK from December 2018 builds, so I'm not sure why anyone who is getting a car around now, would not have specced it when they put the order in.


Personally, I would have ordered it when I bought my car last July; I enjoy gadgets. But I was fully conscious of the fact that after playing with it for a while, I probably wouldn't use it that much, so it wasn't worth waiting for. It certainly wouldn't be worth what it would cost to retrofit.


And changing a brand new car just a few months later? That is always going to be ruinously expensive; the customer has to bear the biggest annual percentage depreciation in the life of the car, while the dealer needs to make a profit out of you for the second time.

 

[AThirtyFive]

@Saunders Okay, I've only had the car 2 weeks, but so far I've used the driving assistance pack multiple times every day. It's now becoming habit :-S