2018 Mercedes E-Class Crash Test - Better than five stars
The E-Class's occupant safety, child safety, pedestrian protection and assistance systems have been awarded a five-star Euro NCAP rating. The Saloon was a particularly deserving recipient of this top rating since in the crash tests in all four categories it significantly outperformed the standard required by Euro NCAP in order to attain the top score of five stars.
Category Result E-Class Five-star cut-off
Occupant safety 95% 80%
Child safety 90% 75%
Pedestrian protection 77% 60%
Assistance systems 62% 50%
The E-Class Saloon also achieved two Euro NCAP "Advanced" awards for PRE‑SAFE® and ATTENTION ASSIST – both awards go beyond the star rating and underline particular safety innovations.
The E-Class Saloon owes these impressive results primarily to the combination of its high-strength passenger safety cell with highly effective restraint systems and the large number of driver assistance systems on board. Active Brake Assist, for example, is a standard feature. It is able to warn the driver of impending collisions, provide support with emergency braking and, if necessary, apply the brakes autonomously. Likewise included as standard are ATTENTION ASSIST with adjustable sensitivity, which can warn the driver of inattentiveness and drowsiness, and Crosswind Assist.
Other driver assistance systems are available as an option, including DRIVE PILOT, which marks a further milestone on the road to automated driving, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist and Traffic Sign Assist with wrong-way warning function. Some of these optional systems, however, have not yet been taken into consideration in the Euro NCAP assessment.
Active and passive safety are intelligently combined with the PRE-SAFE® system, which is able to recognise critical situations on the road and, where there is the threat of an accident, trigger preventive measures to protect the occupants. PRE‑SAFE® Impulse Side is available as an option for the E-Class for the first time. If it detects the immediate threat of a lateral collision, this new subsystem is able to move the driver or front passenger away from the danger zone as a preventive measure, effectively creating a virtual crumple zone for the side of the vehicle. Another new feature is the standard PRE-SAFE® Sound system. Immediately before a collision it can trigger a natural protective reflex in the ear, preparing the occupants for the noise of the accident in order to reduce potential damage to their hearing.
Mercedes-Benz takes the protection of more vulnerable road users such as children very seriously. This also applies to pedestrians and cyclists. The E-Class Saloon features an active bonnet which can be raised 80 millimetres during an impact to provide additional deformation space. In addition Active Brake Assist is not only able to recognise slow-moving, stopping or stationary vehicles but also pedestrians crossing in the danger zone in front of the vehicle and can brake autonomously to prevent a collision with a pedestrian. With features such as these, the E-Class's impressive pedestrian protection standards far exceed statutory requirements.
The E-Class Saloon's success in the Euro NCAP rating is the result of Mercedes‑Benz's holistic safety philosophy. Instead of focusing solely on rating requirements, the company uses findings from its own accident research to develop internal test standards and test criteria that go beyond what is required by law.
