Mercedes-Benz E-Class Earns Top Safety Pick+ Award

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is tough enough to earn a Top Safety Pick+ award, joining the ML-Class as the second Mercedes-Benz to receive the accolade

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is tough enough to earn a Top Safety Pick+ award, joining the ML-Class as the second Mercedes-Benz to receive the accolade, this is according to the latest testing from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

The IIHS reports that the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class earned a “Good” rating in all categories, including the front small-overlap test, as well as moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraint crash tests. For its available forward collision warning system, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is also worthy of a “Basic” rating for front crash prevention, while models equipped with optional automatic braking in the event of an imminent crash get a “Superior” rating. The E-Class is the fourth large luxury car to meet the criteria, following the 2014 Acura RLX, 2015 Hyundai Genesis, and 2014 Volvo S80.

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is tough enough to earn a Top Safety Pick+ award, joining the ML-Class as the second Mercedes-Benz to receive the accolade

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is tough enough to earn a Top Safety Pick+ award, joining the ML-Class as the second Mercedes-Benz to receive the accolade

Criteria for the IIHS Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ were revised for 2014. Now, vehicles must receive at least “Good” in all basic categories except the front small-overlap test, in which “Acceptable” is a minimum requirement. For top-level Top Safety Pick+ status, vehicles are required to have an available front collision warning system.
We’ve seen how tough the new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety front small-overlap test has been for automakers. Toyota previously initiated a mid-cycle refresh for the Camry, RAV4, and Prius V in order to pass the front small-overlap test, which those vehicles previously failed. Honda took similar action so the 2014 Honda Odyssey would pass the rigorous crash test.

For this year’s evaluation, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class received a strengthened footwell area to better protect the passenger compartment. While the move was effective, the seatbelt was still loose enough to allow the driver dummy’s head to rotate substantially, striking the A-pillar. Still, the side curtain airbag deployed quickly and effectively enough to keep risk of serious injury low. (The new rating applies only to E-Class models built since January 2014, when the physical changes were implemented.)

Hopefully you don’t have to test its safety capability first-hand, but be sure to watch the IIHS video of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class in the small front-overlap test.

Via: Automobile Mag

2014 Mercedes S-Class Crash Test Photos

2014 S-Class made lighter and 50 percent more rigid with new aluminum shell compared to prior model

Ever since its May 15 world debut and even before, we’ve been bringing you information, technical specs, and spy photos on the all new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class.  But even with all the news we’ve delivered, this is the first time we have its crash test photos.  The photos came our way thanks to our good friends at MBPassion and show the 2014 S-Class in both a a front impact and side impact test scenarios.

We are not questioning whether or not the Mercedes flagship will receive a 5-star rating, there is no doubt that it’s safest car on the road.  But we are curious to see the results and what the differences are from the old S-Class to the new. After all, the new S-Class is built with a third generation improved aluminum shell that offers 50 percent better torsional stiffness than the prior model and features a passenger cell made out of high strength steel as well as specially placed structural foam at specific points for passenger protection.

But, it is not just the passengers the 2014 S-Class aims to protect.  With the 2014 model, Mercedes has made an effort to ensure the safety of pedestrians as well with recognition programs in the Pre-Safe Brake, Night View Assist Plus and the new Stereo Multi Purpose Camera.  There will always be unavoidable cases.  But, lucky for the not so lucky pedestrian, when one of those unavoidable cases happens to them, Mercedes has made every effort to minimize injuries.  Using an Active Bonnet, specially designed sensors and algorithms to raise the bonnet by around 80 mm, the load exerted on a pedestrian if they hit their head on the bonnet is greatly reduced.

But even with the new design features developed to keep S-Class passengers, pedestrians and other vehicles safer in a crash, the goal of the S-Class is to avoid accidents in the first place.

HT: Shrawan

Mercedes-Benz C- and M-Class Earn 5-Star Rating in Crash Test

Despite increased requirements in new NCAP Crash Tests, Mercedes-Benz scores rare five star rating

Despite the increased standards implemented in the NCAP crash tests, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and M-Class SUV have still earned the highest five star ratings in their latest New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) conducted by the U.S. Federal government. Since the increased NCAP crash tests requirements were implemented in 2010, very few new cars have achieved this top rating.  The results confirm what we already knew, that Mercedes-Benz owners can feel exceptionally safe in their cars.

Latest NCAP Tests Much Tougher

The US-NCAP program significantly tightened up many of the requirements for model years 2011 and newer. For example, the frontal impact focuses on very low loads on the head (head injury criterion), neck, chest and femur of both driver and passenger. Furthermore, an additional stringent test for side impact is also conducted. The tightened requirements resulted in a dramatic decrease of new five-star results within the industry. Mercedes-Benz C-Class and M-Class are now amongst the few vehicles that achieved the top result of five stars. Finally, the results confirm that Mercedes-Benz customers can feel exceptionally safe in their cars.

Real-World Testing At Mercedes-Benz

Professor Rodolfo Schoeneburg, head of Mercedes-Benz safety development said that “For decades, Mercedes-Benz has taken a comprehensive approach to safety that reflects what actually happens in real-world accidents. The challenge is to depict reality in our crash lab. To do so, we use some 40 different crash test scenarios. A significant number of these are based on our own accident research and are unique to our brand. The C-Class and M-Class have each passed more than 200 high-speed in-house crash tests and more than 5,000 numerical crash test simulations.”

Mercedes-Benz Also Named “Top Safety Pick” by IIHS

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an independent non-profit organization formed by vehicle insurance companies, conducts similar crash tests for which the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and M-Class have both received the “Top Safety Pick” designation. The two model lines also earned five-star ratings in European NCAP tests, thereby confidently mastering three of the most challenging international safety rating programs.

Mercedes-Benz Leads A New Era of Safety Technology

Mercedes-Benz, the company that pioneered the crumple zone, ABS anti-lock brakes, air bags, traction control and ESP stability control, as well as PRE-SAFE® and many other significant automotive safety advances in widespread use today, continues to offer a plethora of potentially life-saving safety features. ATTENTION ASSIST, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, Nightview Assist PLUS and Adaptive Highbeam Assist are available on many Mercedes-Benz models.

PRE-SAFE® Gives A Car Fast Reflexes

PRE-SAFE can actually react before a crash occurs. Although most restraint systems are activated in the first milliseconds of an impact, PRE-SAFE recognizes an impending accident before it happens. Standard on most models, it is optional on the C-Class equipped with the DISTRONIC cruise control system.

PRE-SAFE, which has won numerous industry awards in the US and abroad as a forward-thinking safety concept, senses oversteer, understeer and emergency braking, and capitalizes on conditions inside the car during the precious seconds before an impact. The revolutionary PRE-SAFE® system automatically tightens the front seat belts during those valuable seconds just before a possible impact, and the front passenger seat (and optional power rear seats) move to positions that can provide better protection. If the system senses an impending rollover, the sunroof closes to help protect occupants, and the side windows also close to provide better support for the window curtain air bags.

Active Belt Latch and Rear Belt Bag

Professor Schoeneburg added that “Very soon, we will extend PRE-SAFE to the rear passenger seats and introduce an active belt latch. An electric motor automatically moves the latch to reduce belt slack and pre-tension the seat belt in critical situations. We are convinced passengers will love the active latch as it lifts the latch when entering the car and makes belt usage very easy and convenient. The active belt latch comes together with our new belt bag. This inflatable shoulder belt reduces the risk of injury in a frontal collision by reducing the local loads on the rear occupants’ chest.”

ATTENTION ASSIST Cautions “Take a Break!”

A great example of intelligent technology that doesn’t need to be expensive is the standard ATTENTION ASSIST feature. It can alert the driver to the first signs of drowsiness, a factor that causes more than 100,000 accidents a year in the U.S. A steering sensor is coupled to smart software that uses 70 parameters to establish a unique driver profile during the first 20 minutes of driving. The system identifies the erratic steering corrections drivers make as they begin to get drowsy and triggers an audible warning, and a “Take a Break!” message represented with a coffee cup icon appear in the instrument cluster.

Blind Spot Assist and Lane Keeping Assist

Optional Active Blind Spot Assist monitors both blind spots and warns the driver whenever a turn signal is activated with a vehicle in the blind spot, while Active Lane Keeping Assist recognizes lane markings and alerts the driver by simulating rumble strip vibrations in the steering wheel if the car drifts from its lane without the turn signals on.

Both Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist now incorporate automatic ESP brake intervention. If the driver doesn’t heed the initial warnings, the ESP system applies the brake on one wheel to help correct the car’s path.

New Night Driving Technology

Night View Assist PLUS is available on select models as a valuable tool where Adaptive Highbeam Assist uses a small video camera to sense both headlights and taillights, then softly and automatically transitions between high and low beam operation to avoid dazzling other drivers. With this system, the range of the head lights can be varied from their current 220 feet to up to 1,000 feet.

With the upcoming launch of the all-new 2014 S-Class in Fall 2012, the latest version of the system will allow a driver to see pedestrians or animals up to 300 feet earlier than before, and they appear in the display with an outlined frame highlighting each person. In contrast to passive systems that rely on thermal imaging, this active system bathes the road ahead with invisible infra-red light from two beams mounted in the headlights. Extending the driver’s ability to see ahead to nearly 500 feet, Night View Assist PLUS uses an infra-red camera in the windshield and displays the reflected images as highly detailed black & white video images in the instrument cluster.

M-Class Features New Collision Prevention Assist

The 2013 Mercedes-Benz M-Class sport utility marks the debut of an important new safety feature – Collision Prevention Assist, which uses dedicated radar sensors to monitor the distance to a vehicle in front and to stationary objects.

If the system senses a risk of imminent collision, it alerts the driver with an audible and visual warning in the instrument cluster. The new system can also recognize and adapt its response to a number of driving conditions such as bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Professor Schoeneburg concludes by stating that “We also put emphasis on intelligent driver assistance systems that could, for the first time, prevent accidents with crossing vehicles or pedestrians, as well as active lane keeping assistance systems which could also prevent accidents with oncoming traffic. Anti-dazzle permanent main-beam headlamps are also in development. Assistance systems like these are not yet generally required by vehicle safety rating programs, but various institutions are already starting to request and assess them.”

Mercedes-Benz Driving Simulator

Inside the Mercedes Simulator is a 360° projection screen showing traffic scenarios, with pedestrians, oncoming traffic & houses

With its 360° screen, fast electric power system and the twelve-metre-long rail for transverse or longitudinal movements, the new “Moving Base” simulator from Mercedes-Benz is the most powerful in the entire car industry. It went into operation at the end of 2010.

“With the simulator, we are able to realistically reproduce highly dynamic driving manoeuvres such as lane-changing and therefore research the behaviour of the driver and the vehicle in road traffic in great depth,” explains Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Daimler Board of Management responsible for Group Research and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. The system is not intended to replace real test drives entirely. The simulator will enable systems and components for future Mercedes models to be tested throughout all development phases, however.

The driving simulator is furthermore used to conduct trials with test subjects. During these, normal car drivers are able to approach the physical limits of driving performance with absolutely no danger, providing the Mercedes engineers with invaluable findings on the acceptance and operation of new safety systems.

How the simulator works

The simulator cell is basically a cab fixed to a hexapod on six moveable supports. Inside there is a complete Mercedes model in which the test driver is seated, as well as the 360° projection screen showing a realistic image of the traffic scenario, with moving pedestrians, oncoming traffic and houses.

The vehicle controls are linked to the computerised control system of the driving simulator by data lines. When the test driver turns the steering wheel, accelerates or operates the brakes, these reactions are registered by the computer control system and have the same effects as in real traffic situations. The scenery on the screen changes constantly, while the hexapod and the linear movements combine together to create a realistic impression of vehicle motion. The computer calculates the driving behaviour of the car more than 1000 times per second, issuing the relevant commands to the electrics. It is able to move the cell transversely by up to twelve metres at a maximum speed of ten metres per second (36 km/h), so that double lane-changes can also be simulated, for example.

Equally high-tech: part of the energy required to operate the simulator is recovered by means of energy recuperation during braking and fed into the power network of the Sindelfingen plant.

In its role as a safety pioneer, Mercedes-Benz has long led the way in the use of simulators, too. The first driving simulator, an in-house development, was commissioned at the Daimler-Benz research centre in Berlin-Marienfelde over 25 years ago.

Mercedes-Benz Introduces High Tech Autopilot for Driving Tests

Mercedes-Benz is the only vehicle maker in the world to use “automated driving” as an additional element in the testing process

For years, Mercedes-Benz has been setting benchmarks in the development of new technologies for the continuous improvement of active and passive safety in automobiles. Innovations in passive safety such as the rigid-form passenger cell, crumple zone, airbag and three-point safety belt, plus active safety like ABS, ESP® and brake assist all trace back to Mercedes-Benz. They have made a substantial contribution to improving traffic safety and to reducing significantly the number of injuries and deaths among road users.

The current status of active safety technology is defined by intelligent assistance systems that turn the vehicle into a “thinking partner” – one that can see and feel, and that can react in the event of danger. Systems like the blind spot assistant, ATTENTION ASSIST and the night view assistant are focused specifically on accident problem areas such as lane changes, fatigue or poor visibility at night.

“With future driver assistance systems, we will be able to address even more complex traffic situations and therefore to ease the dangers of further accident hot spots – like intersections,” says Prof. Bharat Balasubramanian, Head of Product Innovations & Process Technologies at Corporate Research and Advanced Engineering Daimler AG. “Our new automated driving test methods help us to fulfil the extremely high quality and operational safety demands placed on our safety systems more efficiently.”

Autopilots ensure greater precision and relieve development engineers

In addition to established methods, Mercedes-Benz will fulfil requirements for reliable functionality and operational safety in future assistance systems through the “automated driving” of test manoeuvres on dedicated proving grounds. Prototypes used for this purpose are usually series production vehicles equipped with “robots” for steering, acceleration and braking. An on-board computer controls the autopilot so that a pre-programmed course is followed exactly – even if several vehicles are involved in one manoeuvre.

Test engineers in the control centre monitor all events and can stop the vehicles at any time. In parallel, the vehicles perform self checks and brake automatically if they register deviations. Thus, the test configuration is safe, yet flexible. All Mercedes-Benz models can be equipped with the technical equipment for “automated driving”. Moreover, a large variety of different safety systems and equipment can be tested.

Using “automated driving”, engineers analyse safety innovations under real-life conditions in the vehicle, addressing two critical challenges:

  • Reproducibility. In order to calibrate the systems under test exactly, extensive variations and repetitions of tests are needed. In so doing, all parameters such as vehicle distances, speeds and steering angles have to meet specifications and always need to be maintained precisely in order to guarantee comparability.
  • Safety. Because the systems are intended to kick in only in critical situations, such scenarios must be induced during testing. The manoeuvres demand precision timing and should not create a real danger for anybody.

Both requirements are usually beyond human abilities – humans cannot react quickly enough and cannot repeat manoeuvres with the desired accuracy. However, for complex in-vehicle electronic systems and for assistance systems in particular, such driving tests are indispensible as their functional validation must be carried out in a manner that is comprehensive and as close to reality as possible.

The repeat accuracy of the test methodology enables test vehicles to maintain a pre-determined speed and course exactly and to brake very precisely. For example, if a vehicle drives a pre-planned course several times, the tracks of all the runs vary from one another by less than two centimetres. Should the vehicle be brought to a complete halt at a particular location, the end points of all braking manoeuvres are within a radius of three centimetres.

Alongside the proving of assistance systems, “automated driving” will also be used for so-called “extreme tests” in future. These put the vehicle under loads that are well in excess of those reached under normal use in traffic. The intention is to ensure, for instance, that airbags are not activated unintentionally should the car be driven heavily over a ramp or against a kerb. Test drives that involve a high degree of physical stress for the driver can thus be avoided.

State-of-the-art test methods for the highest safety demands

In their development work, Mercedes-Benz engineers use the results from the company’s in-house accident research, which delivers important findings. Several combined validation methods guarantee that all systems function reliably at any critical moment. Company philosophy insists on validation to go considerably farther than required by regulatory standards. When it comes to passive safety, Mercedes-Benz internal crash test requirements go well beyond meeting public crash test standards.

The combination of computer simulations and real-life crash tests ensures passive safety to Mercedes-Benz standards. Mercedes-Benz also makes use of state-of-the-art, networked test methods when it comes to active safety. Drive simulator tests combined with simulation procedures deliver a faster and more reliable development process and complement test drives under real-life conditions. “In Sindelfingen, we are currently building a new driving simulator. The state-of-the-art technology of this equipment will make the future development of new safety systems even faster and more precise,” confirms Balasubramanian.

Automated driving as the basis of future innovations

Mercedes-Benz is the only vehicle maker in the world to use “automated driving” as an additional element in the testing process. It will be used on dedicated proving grounds in tests that would be virtually impossible to reproduce manually, like merging at different speeds and vehicle distances; high-risk tests where, for example, a vehicle brakes heavily in front of another that swerves at the last minute; and safety-critical tests where, at an intersection, one vehicle crosses just in front of or behind the path of a second vehicle.

With “automated driving”, Mercedes-Benz has developed a new, unique testing method for safety systems. It is yet further proof of the innovative power of Mercedes-Benz. The new test method guarantees the fast and efficient development of assistance systems to the highest levels of quality and reliability and also offers maximum safety at work for employees.

Bharat Balasubramanian sums up: “In order to continue to set trends in the field of safety in future, our test procedures must be able to keep pace with the wealth of ideas generated by our engineers. With automated driving, we feel we are well equipped for the development of the next generation of assistance systems.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Safety Update

Here's another look at the safety of the Mercedes C-Class including accident avoidance and passenger protection during a crash

If you’ve been watching any of the NCAA tournament lately you’ve no doubt seen an abundance of Mercedes commercials, one of which highlights the C-Class’ safety during a round of rollover testing.  Since the commercials started airing we’ve received a couple emails requesting more info about the C-Class’ various safety aspects, so I thought I’d take a moment to re-publish a press release and photos covering the topic along with a short C-Class safety video.   A few of the main areas covered include accident avoidance, passenger protection from a variety of impact standpoints and the C-Class’ various safety systems both during and after a crash.  To those of you with questions about the C-Class safety, the information should help you gain a clear understanding of what exactly you can expect from the model and how you’re protected should you find yourself in a less-than-desirable situation.  For more information, keep reading for all of the aforementioned content.

 

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Named Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

The Mercedes C-Class was also awarded five stars in the Euro NCAP, making it one of the safest cars on the market

In their latest assessments, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has named the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class one of their Top Safety Picks for 2009.  The news comes after the IIHS examined the C-Class in three categories – frontal offset, side impact and rear crash protection/head restraint – after which the sedan achieved top marks  of “Good” in each.

In addition to the IIHS award, the Mercedes C-Class was also awarded five stars in the Euro NCAP (the European New Car Assessment Programme), making it one of the safest cars on the market.

To learn more about the Mercedes-Benz C-Class as well as its Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing, keep scrolling for the official press release, or head over to the IIHS website where you can view results from each of the three crash test studies.