Mercedes-Benz has teased the world with snippets of the new E-Class and among the various modern touches the German carmaker has made, one path-breaking technology stands out: the capacitive steering wheel. Mercedes-Benz says the steering wheel in its new E-Class will contain a two-zone sensor mat to detect the driver's hands gripping the steering wheel (which differs from previous tech, which depended on the movement of the wheel itself), and also includes touch sensitive buttons on the spokes, also designed to work with digital signals.

However, the first step towards the modern Mercedes-Benz steering wheel was taken 120 years ago by the then Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (Daimler Motors Corporation) when the brand switched from a simple steering crank or steering rod to the significantly more functional, not to mention intuitive, steering wheel. This was the proverbial first step which has led to the development of today’s high-tech command centre, enabling countless drivers to not only steer their vehicles precisely and comfortably, but also operate numerous comfort and assistance systems.