Mercedes E Class Active Safety

Mercedes has an 'Integrated Safety Concept' on the 2009 released £30,855 E Class* Saloon Avantgarde. The June 2010 price list has the optional Driving Assistance Package £2250 which includes:-

1. Blind Spot Assist – visible warning in exterior mirrors if vehicle is detected in blind spot, audible warning if indicating to move out of lane (detail). 
2. Lane-Keeping Assist – vibrates steering wheel when detecting unintentional drifting out of lane (demo).
3. Distronic Plus - radar controlled braking system that maintains a safe distance from the car in front. 
4. Pre-Safe Brake - radar cruise control keeps you at a safe distance from the car in front .

Night View Assist £1100 uses infrared headlamps to view people and animals or loads shed in the road at night.

Speed Limit Assist Plus £290 has a Camera that recognises speed limit road signs and keeps the driver notified on the instrument cluster:

Standard eSafety features on E Class Avantgarde model are:

1. ESP - Electronic Stability Programme which prevents skids. 
2. LED daytime running lights
3. Intelligent Light System with bi‑xenon headlamps
4. Tyre pressure loss warning system (& Tyre Pressure Monitoring) – alerts driver to significant reductions in tyre pressure
5. Attention Assist - tiredness recognition. Fatigued drivers are identified by steering wheel movements that require constant correction.

Rare Passive Safety features include:

1. Active Bonnet – pedestrian safety measure which detects an impact and raises bonnet by 50 mm, creating additional crumple zone. However Euro NCAP 2010 safety test of Mercedes E Class Avantguarde only gave Pedestrian protection 59% (60% is required by 2012 for a car to be rated 5*)
2. knee airbag

Speed Limitation Assistance is not available on the E Class (unlike the excellent SLA on our Nissan Qashqai Acenta which has transformed the way Sharon & I drive!)

Euro NCAP noted the E Class is fitted as standard with 'PRE SAFE'' system which senses when an accident is about to occur and primes the restraint and protection systems in readiness for the collision.

* E 200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY Avantgarde, Petrol – 1,796 cc, 184 hp