The latest version of Mercedes-Benz’s voice activation system, known as Linguatronic, will for the first time allow you to control more than just the infotainment system.

In addition to controlling regular infotainment functions such as the navigation or communications, Linguatronic will let you control climate and comfort settings. The system has also been updated to better understand natural speaking.

Starting with the E-Class range, the latest version of Linguatronic will let you adjust the air conditioner temperature, blower strength, seat heating and rear window demister. You can also use Linguatronic to call up a wide range of information, such as the date the car’s next service is due, the current speed limit, the vehicle's range or the current date.

A number of comfort settings can also be controlled. For example, the driver can simply say “massage me” to activate the in-seat massagers. Mercedes says Linguatronic has hundreds of alternatives in more than a dozen languages for voice commands, resulting in a high likelihood the driver will hit the right phrase at the first attempt.

Another new feature of Linguatronic is the ability to further speed up choosing the right voice command. This function allows the driver to interrupt the system's voice response to halt the current dialog and move on to the next dialog step sooner. This makes voice control faster and more efficient.

Finally, Mercedes has tweaked the Linguatronic system so that its voice responses are more human-like. The system avoids repeating the same voice responses, instead varying its responses between three or four possible options.