Active safety: Always on the lookout | Daimler Global Media Site > Mercedes-Benz Cars > Mercedes-Benz P. Cars > E-Class

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Estate

Make space for elegance: The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate

Stuttgart

Oct 12, 2009

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Active safety: Always on the lookout

Wake up: ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection
Near and far: DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control
Stop and go: PRE-SAFE® rake with autonomous emergency braking

In addition to established technologies such as ABS, ESP® and Brake Assist, around a dozen new or improved Driver Assistance systems in the E-Class contribute towards avoiding traffic accidents and reducing the severity of an accident. If the option of a trailer coupling is chosen, the Estate also comes equipped with vehicle/trailer stabilisation as standard. This additional ESPfunction can detect critical swaying oscillations of the car/trailer combination via the towing vehicle's yaw rate signal. By applying the brakes to the individual wheels, the driver is supported automatically to
defuse the situation.

In the new E-Class Estate, occupant protection actually begins in the phase leading up to a possible accident thanks to the Mercedes PRE-SAFE® invention, which is specified as standard. If there is a risk of an accident, the system activates protective measures as a precaution, allowing the seat belts and airbags to deploy with maximum effect in the event of a collision. This early accident detection is possible because PRE-SAFE® is an intelligent synergy of active and passive safety. It is linked to Brake Assist and the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®), whose sensors can detect typical critical driving situations and send the relevant information to the electronic control units within a matter of milliseconds. PRE-SAFE® also uses these sensor data.

Moreover, for the first time the system also uses the information provided by the short-range radar sensors (optional extra) in the front bumper to tension the front seat belts at the very last moment before a recognized unavoidable collision, thus reducing the loads exerted on the driver and front passenger during a collision. Preventive occupant protection is for example activated in the event of emergency braking or registrated high lateral acceleration:

PRE-SAFE® when braking in an emergency	PRE-SAFE® in the event of registered high lateral acceleration*
Driver and front-passenger seat belts are tensioned by means of electric motors.	Side windows at the front and rear can be closed
Electrically adjustable front-passenger seat** can moved backwards or forwards into the optimum position whilst the cushion angle and backrest inclination are also optimised.	The sunroof** can be closed

*In addition to the emergency-braking measures. **optionalin combination with Memory package

In many other aspects of safety the E-Class is also an "intelligent" partner who can see, thanks to radar, cameras and sensors, react reflexively and act independently. The following is a summary of the Driver Assistance systems:

ABS	Standard: ensures that the E-Class remains steerable, even when braking.
ESP®	Standard: reduces the risk of skidding and assists the driver to stabilise the car. With vehicle/trailer stabilisation when fitted with trailer coupling.
Brake Assist	Standard: provides full braking power almost instantaneously in the event of a reistrated emergency stop.
Adaptive brake lights	Standard: the brake lights flash to warn drivers behind if the brakes are applied in an emergency.
ATTENTION ASSIST	Standard: can detect driver drowsiness by means of sensor signals and warns the driver.

Intelligent Light System	Optional: incorporates five light functions specially configured for typical driving situations and weather conditions: Country mode Motorway mode Enhanced foglamps Active light function Cornering light function
Adaptive Highbeam Assist	Optional in combination with Intelligent Light System: controls the beam pattern depending on the traffic situation. The range of the dipped beam can therefore increase from around 65 to up to 300 metres. If the system detects oncoming traffic or vehicles in front, it continually adjusts the headlamp range to the gap, so that the headlamp cone stops before it reaches the vehicles. The range of the dipped beam can therefore increase up to 300 metres.
Lane Keeping Assist	Optional: detects the road markings and issues a warning if the vehicle unintentionally leaves the lane. The Lane Keeping Assist is based on a camera on the inside of the windscreen which can recognise road markings by analysing the differences in contrast between the road surface and the boundary lines.
Speed Limit Assist	Optional: uses a camera to detect speed-limit signs and indicates the current speed limit on the display.
Blind Spot Assist	Optional: uses radar to monitor the areas to the sides and rear of the E-Class, and warns the driver if there is another vehicle in the exterior mirror's blind spot.

DISTRONIC PLUS	Optional: uses radar to automatically maintain a desired distance between the E-Class and the vehicle in front and warns the driver if the gap narrows rapidly.
Brake Assist PLUS (as part of DISTRONIC PLUS)	Optional: uses radar to detect an imminent rear-end collision and calculates the necessary level of braking assistance.
PRE-SAFE® Brake (as part of DISTRONIC PLUS)	Optional: the E-Class automatically brakes in the event of recognized acute danger if the driver does not react. It does this in two stages: around 1.6 seconds before the calculated impact point - after three audible warning signals - the system initiates partial braking autonomously with around 40 percent of the maximum braking power. As a result, this gives the driver a further, perceptible signal to act. If the driver then brakes immediately, the maximum braking force is made available or, if the driver swerves, the accident can be avoided at the last moment, depending on the driving situation. However, if the driver still does not react after partial braking, the PRE-SAFE® Brake initiates maximum braking around 0.6 seconds before the impact, which is now unavoidable, thus significantly reducing the severity of the accident.
Parking aid	Optional: ultrasonic sensors measure the length of parking spaces as the car drives past; instructions for safe parking appear on the display.
PRE-SAFE®	Standard: anticipatory safety measures are taken to protect the occupants if an accident risk is detected.