Don't expect your future privately-owned passenger car to deliver full autonomy anytime soon. That's the news from Mercedes-Benz’s own experts on the subject.

Manager for autonomous systems on the new Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 electric SUV, Jochen Haab, told carsales.com.au that development of self-driving cars was heading in two separate directions, with full autonomy for privately owned vehicles likely to be some time away.

In contrast, fully autonomous self-driving taxis and the like could be operating in low-speed geo-fenced areas within a decade, he said.

“We will see vehicles with high levels of autonomy in the next decade,” Haab told carsales.

“But this will be in specific restricted access areas, perhaps geo-fenced.”