It's no secret that the sedan segment is fast whittling away. Crossovers and SUVs have become the staple of the modern motoring landscape. Raised ride heights, increased ground clearance and the perception of safety has seen the sedan format slowly fade into the background. While some will argue that the sedan will never be replaced, the future looks grim for the 3-box design.
Related: 10 Best Sedans rated by practicality
Before the elegant sedan completely bows out, we're taking a look at the luxury segment and three of the most prolific offerings from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. We're comparing their infotainment systems to see which one offers the best selection of features and has the most user-friendly design.
Volvo S90
The sole remaining sedan offering (locally), the S90 is an exercise in reserved opulence. Light colours and natural finishes make this interior a left-field approach to the luxury mid-size market. It's dominated by the Sensus Connect infotainment system and world-renowned audio system.
The Sensus Connect system uses a 9-inch touchscreen interface that is arranged in portrait orientation, rather than landscape. This makes it more akin to a tablet or smartphone and utilizes the vertical real estate of the centre fascia. The key with the Sensus system is simplicity, offering simplified controls on the multifunction steering wheel and a simple volume knob in the lower section of the fascia, flanked by track/station skip buttons. The screen features infrared touch, allowing users wearing gloves or with long nails to still be able to interact with the screen accurately.
Sensus Connect home screen is split into four primary sections for Navigation, Media, Phone and Apps. Touching one will expand the section and users can swipe to access further settings. The system accepts inputs from Bluetooth, USB, has AM/FM reception and allows for smartphone tethering with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.
Customers get to choose from either a Bowers & Wilkins 18-speaker (plus subwoofer) audio setup or the Harman Kardon setup with Quantum Logic Surround sound for an unrivalled listening experience.
BMW 5 Series
The latest BMW 5 Series is fitted with the latest BMW infotainment system that runs BMW OS7 with its tiled home screen and swipe functionality and myriad of input solutions.
BMW's Control Display is a 10-25-inch screen as standard with the option to boost this to a 12.4-inch screen. Interacting with the system comes in several ways. Users can touch the screen, use the multifunction steering wheel for simplistic control, gesture in front of the screen, or use spoken commands with BMW's Intelligent Personal Assistant. The final control input method is the iDrive controller with its shortcut buttons and a rotary dial for scrolling and touch inputs.
The system will accept inputs from USB and Bluetooth and is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto equipped for smartphone tethering. This system is also equipped with BMW Maps which uses an internet connection to get the best route and Real-Time Traffic Information with alerts to congestion and incidents on your route.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
The 2021 update of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class saw an update to the infotainment system from the COMAND Online system to the latest MBUX interface. This system sees the integration of two 10.25-inch screens, with 12.4-inch screens available on request, spanning the dashboard ahead to the driver, linked under one seamless piece of glass. One screen features the driver instrumentation and the other displays the infotainment and connectivity features.
Mercedes-Benz has simplified the menu and operating system offering a scroll-through system that segments the various functions into key areas. From here you are able to access the necessary functions and setting pertaining to that area. Some settings are still tucked away in obscure areas but one soon acclimatises to the system.
This system will offer AM/FM reception, Bluetooth connectivity and USB-C inputs with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. Users can interact with the system either through the touchscreen, the touch-sensitive multifunction steering wheel, through voice commands or by using the control pad in the centre console that has shortcut buttons for home, back and track skip.
