Passive safety
Safety
85
Introduction of the New E-Class, Model Series 212 Sedan
b
The core of the advanced passive
safety system
includes:
• Body structure with front and rear end
constructions with high strain energy, and a high-
strength passenger cell
• Compatibility of the front end structure design with
regard to frontal collisions
• A long deformation path due to short 4-cylinder
and 6-cylinder engines mounted on a bolted frame-
type integral support, which absorbs energy and
deforms in the direction of the impact during a
frontal collision
• Multiple parallel load paths at the level of the
longitudinal members for improved load distri-
bution in the event of a partial head-on collision
• Cockpit crossmember made out of extruded
aluminum section between the A-pillars
• Telescoping steering column
• Doors with reinforcement profiles
• 4-spoke steering wheel with foam-padded rim
• Supplemental restraint systems
• PRE-SAFE
®
preventive occupant protection
system
• Crash-active engine hood and extended safety
measures for pedestrians and cyclists
• Emergency illumination after an accident
Extended safety measures for pedestrians and
cyclists:
Reducing the severity of an accident is important
particularly in the case of collisions with weaker road
users such as pedestrians and cyclists, as these
weaker road users have no crumple zones of their
own.
To supplement the active safety measures (the Brake
Assist, for instance), which prevent an accident from
occurring or which help to reduce its severity, the so-
called passive measures of pedestrian protection have
been optimized even further in model series 212.
For example, to reduce the loads that occur during an
impact on the hood of the vehicle, the deformation
clearances between the engine hood and the compo-
nents underneath have been enlarged.
This has been done by increasing the exterior contour
of the vehicle at the front end as well as by lowering
the drive unit and relocating components such as
control units and fluid reservoirs in the engine
compartment as necessary. In addition, the E-Class is
the first vehicle to be fitted with a crash-active engine
hood.
P46.10-3078-00
4-spoke steering wheel with foam-padded rim
– This printout will not be recorded by the update service. Status: 01 / 2009 –