"Now, you can press the autonomous driving button and take your hands off the wheel."

I was skeptical when told to let go of the steering wheel while driving at 95km/h on a highway near Munich, Germany. However, it quickly became natural to use my phone or make eye contact and chat with the person next to me while the car was moving.

Since May, Mercedes-Benz has been selling the EQS equipped with "Drive Pilot," which features Level 3 autonomous driving technology. On September 8 (local time), during the Mercedes-Benz test drive program at IAA 2025, Europe's largest mobility show, I was able to experience the autonomous driving technology for about 40 minutes.

Mercedes-Benz Level 3 Autonomous Driving. Photo by Oh Hyungil

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Among the stages of autonomous driving, Level 3 remains "uncharted territory" in South Korea. Since the car takes full control of driving, the driver does not need to keep their hands on the wheel or watch the road. This level is considered one where you can handle work or check emails inside the car. In fact, while driving the Mercedes-Benz Level 3 vehicle, it was possible to check my phone or take photos.

However, several conditions must be met to use Level 3. The feature can only be used on highways during the daytime. It cannot be used in rainy weather. Additionally, it is only available in the rightmost (slow) lane and only when there is a car in front. The speed is limited to a maximum of 95km/h.

After leaving the city and entering the highway, the car automatically checked the conditions for autonomous driving and activated the autonomous driving button on the steering wheel to indicate it was available. All I had to do was press the button.

The car maintained an appropriate distance from the vehicle ahead and continued to follow it. If a car cut in from another lane, the vehicle slowed down and then adjusted its distance to follow the car in front again.

Notably, the system is linked to the navigation, so it alerts the driver in advance if autonomous driving conditions are not met, allowing the driver to prepare accordingly.

Before the right entry lane was created, the car alerted the driver to take the steering wheel through vibrations and alarms, and pressing the button again allowed the driver to resume control at any time. If the car in front accelerated beyond 95km/h or changed lanes and disappeared, the driver was notified of the situation to take back the steering wheel.

Would following a slow-moving truck delay your arrival time? Stefan Pickel, the instructor who accompanied the test drive, explained, "We conducted a driving test with two Level 3 autonomous vehicles, one following a truck and the other following a regular car. The difference in arrival time for a destination about 400km away was only 25 minutes, so the overall arrival time did not change significantly."

To let other drivers know from the outside that this car is in autonomous driving mode, blue lights will be installed on the daytime running lamps of the headlamps and on the side mirrors.

A Mercedes-Benz representative stated, "Since the launch of Level 3, there have been no driving accidents so far. Currently, the system is limited to 95km/h, but we plan to seek government approval to increase it to 130km/h and to allow autonomous driving in the center lane as well." Regarding introduction to South Korea, they said, "We are currently preparing for the domestic launch."