Next-generation in-car intelligence: speech and language recognition and reasoning experiences become even more natural and robust
Collaboration with Liquid AI in North America

Next Generation in-car intelligence.

April 23, 2026 – Mercedes Benz announced a multi-year partnership with Liquid AI to scale embedded, on-device intelligence for Mercedes Benz models with third- and fourth-generation MBUX¹ in North America.

The partnership is designed to advance the performance of real-time, private and local AI experiences for on-board services at scale – enabling the next generation of in-car intelligence. Embedded Liquid Foundations Models (LFM) deliver fast, private and independent AI without dependence on the cloud. This evolves the MBUX Virtual Assistant (MVA) by seamlessly integrating voice control, vehicle functionality and contextual understanding into a more capable in-vehicle experience.

The partnership aims to make the driver/vehicle relationship even more natural and effortless. Built on the in-house developed Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) software architecture, the collaboration creates a path to a first production deployment for advanced speech technology, targeting the second half of 2026.

With this strategic collaboration, we’re scaling embedded intelligence in the vehicle and improving AI speech capabilities for our customers in North America. By advancing on-device speech, language understanding and reasoning with Liquid AI, we’re laying the foundation for the next generation of intuitive and multimodal in-car experiences, with a clear path toward initial production deployment as early as the second half of 2026

Jörg Burzer
Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Chief Technology Officer, Development & Procurement
partnership to bring embedded intelligence to Mercedes Benz models in North America.
partnership to bring embedded intelligence to Mercedes Benz models in North America.

Through the partnership, Mercedes Benz will bring essential elements of the in-vehicle voice interaction stack on board – enabling customer-ready experiences across speech, language understanding and reasoning. Liquid AI particularly stands out for its deep expertise in efficient, low-footprint foundation models designed specifically for on-device deployment. By processing speech on-device, the collaboration will deliver a more consistent experience in everyday driving situations. By focusing on low latency and high efficiency, Liquid AI’s models support natural, conversational interaction without relying on continuous data exchange with the cloud.

The software-defined vehicle is one of the most consequential deployments of AI in the physical world, and Mercedes Benz has approached it with exactly the rigor it demands. Working across in-car intelligence, we’re building infrastructure and not just a feature. Liquid’s models are built to run on the hardware already inside the vehicle, delivering intelligence that is fast, private and sovereign without depending on the cloud. Mercedes Benz's conviction that this is the right approach to vehicle AI matches our own.

Ramin Hasani
CEO, Liquid AI

The partnership complements existing cloud-based Large Language Models (LLM) and compute ecosystems by bringing efficient embedded intelligence directly to Mercedes Benz models with third- and fourth-generation MBUX¹ in North America. With this approach, Mercedes Benz intends to deliver maximum value to customers across everyday use cases. Mercedes Benz and Liquid AI will work together to explore other areas of product development in the future.
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¹ Third-generation: Model Year (MY) 24+ E-Class and CLE; MY25-MY26 C-Class ICE; MY25-27 GLC ICE; MY26-27 GT 2-door and SL;

Fourth-generation: MY26+ CLA BEV; MY27 CLA ICE; MY27 C-Class ICE and BEV; MY27 GLB ICE and BEV; MY27 GLC BEV; MY27 EQS Sedan; MY27 GLE/GLS; MY27 S-Class; MY27 AMG EA GT 4-door.