The Drive Kit Plus links up to your iPhone, allowing you to access all your favourite features, which appear in the vehicle display and can be controlled safely and conveniently using the controller on the centre armrest. In addition to Facebook, Twitter and so on, you can use the Drive Kit Plus to access all the services and functions that make up your digital lifestyle while you're on the move.
What are the main features?
Siri– your personal assistant: Apple's Siri recognises and processes natural speech data, and passes results back to the end device. The software can provide answers to the user's questions or perform tasks that would otherwise require manual input.
AUPEO!– AUPEO! is a free online music service which offers every listener an individual audio stream. The user can select an artist, genre or a musical theme and then the radio is personalised to suit your tastes. There are also over 200 internet radio stations to choose from. (6 months’ premium service included.)
Glympse– Share your current location with friends using this feature.
Google+– View activity in your Circles and +1 your favorite posts and comments.
Facebook– Listen to your newsfeed, post comments, respond and navigate to events.
Twitter– Drive Plus reads your timeline out loud and lets you tweet and retweet.
Navigon– Best in class navigation system by Garmin brand.
How does it work?
To use the Drive Kit Plus, you will need to download the Digital DriveStyle App, developed by Mercedes-Benz. This is available free of charge from the Apple iTunes App Store and can be installed on your iPhone.
You then connect your iPhone via a cable in the glovebox, and select the ‘aux’ mode for the Drive Kit Plus to work. All functions are controlled via the car’s rotary control near the gear lever.
You can view or have read out the most recent tweets from people you follow on Twitter, or statuses from your Facebook newsfeed, and re-tweet or comment on them while you’re driving, using the Siri software. When the car is stationary, you can also compose new tweets or view video and images.
iPhone and car compatibility: Does the Drive Kit Plus work in every Mercedes?
The Drive Kit Plus is compatible with the iPhone 5S/5C/5/4S/4.
The kit works on the following Mercedes models:
| Model series | Quarter | Model |
|---|---|---|
| A-Class | Available | W176 (YoM 2012, Code 803) |
| B-Class | Available | W246 (YoM 2012, Code 803) |
| C-Class | Available | W/S204 (YoM 2012, Code 803) |
| CL-Class | Available | C216 |
| CLA-Class | Available | C117 |
| CLS-Class | Available | C/X218 (YoM 2012, Code 803) |
| E-Class | Available | W/S212, C/A207 (YoM 2012, Code 803) |
| GL-Class | Available | X166 (YoM 2012, Code 803) |
| M-Class | Available | W166 (YoM 2012, Code 803) |
| S-Class | Available | W/V221 |
| SL-Class | Available | R231 (YoM 2012, Code 803) |
| SLK-Class | Available | R172 (YoM 2012, Code 803) |
How to install the Drive Kit Plus
A professional Mercedes technician must install the Drive Kit Plus; this is a service that is provided when you buy the kit from Arnold Clark.
How much does the Mercedes Drive Kit Plus cost?
This innovative accessory is the perfect product for the tech-savvy among you, and costs only £749 including fitting.