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

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Oct 12, 2009

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:

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:

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