Yorkregion.com - Wheels - Mercedes C-Class passes European crash tests with flying colours
Mercedes C-Class passes European crash tests with flying colours
Wheels
Dec 31, 2007 12:55 PM
By: ROBINSON/BEINTEMA AUTOFILES
The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class has passed the European NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) crash tests with flying colours, with a five star rating and, according to the Euro-NCAP organization, is one of the safest cars available on the market.
The C-Class safety concept, optimized based on the analysis of real-life accidents, also performs extremely well in standardized rating crash tests. With seven airbags, seat-belt tensioners, belt-force limiters and NECK PRO crash-responsive head restraints fitted as standard, the C-Class offers its occupants an extremely high level of protection should an accident occur. The body structure has been designed to ensure that, in the event of a frontal collision, the impact forces are distributed over a wide area and on four independently acting impact levels, meaning that the passenger cell remains largely unscathed.
Around 70 percent of all the bodywork panels are made from state-of-the-art, high-strength steel alloys that minimize weight and maximize safety. These steel grades also play a key role in protecting the occupants in the event of a side impact. The quadruple-skinned B-pillars and the side members, which absorb the bulk of any side-impact forces and channel these forces into the body structure, are made partially from ultra-high-strength, hot-formed high-tech steel.
The C-Class safety systems are based on a tried-and-trusted Mercedes concept that takes a holistic approach towards passenger-car safety, with the emphasis firmly on accident avoidance and anticipatory occupant protection.
Standard-fit systems such as ESP and Brake Assist aid drivers at critical moments and help them to remain fully in control should a dangerous situation arise. Accident statistics show that the number of accidents caused by skidding and head-to-tail collisions with serious consequences is reduced significantly if these Mercedes technologies are on board. In addition, Brake Assist also helps to reduce the number of accidents involving pedestrians. Furthermore, the C-Class is the world's only car in this market segment to feature an anticipatory occupant protection system in the shape of PRE-SAFE. Available as an optional extra, this Mercedes-Benz innovation uses the time between detection of a potential accident situation and a possible collision to initiate preventive protective measures, thus reducing the loads exerted on the occupants in the event of an accident by up to 40 percent.