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July 13, 2005
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Mercedes-Benz Trailer Stability Assist combats the dreaded fishtailing: Trailer towing made safe


Photo: DC

Stuttgart - Summertime is the traditional school holiday period. In a number of Germany's federal states, the long summer holidays have already begun, with the other states soon to follow. Traffic on the country's major highways is increasing sharply - and with it, so is the number of trailers.

Many of the passenger cars en route to holiday destinations will have a caravan, a boat trailer or a load-carrying trailer in tow. It is important to remember, however, that passenger cars handle very differently with a trailer attached. Pulling away is an unusually sluggish affair, cornering abilities alter and merely taking the time to load the towing vehicle and trailer properly can have a major impact on handling stability.

 

Most Mercedes-Benz models can be used to tow a trailer without any problems. This is because the engineers take all aspects of trailer towing into account as early as the vehicle design stage. The broad Mercedes-Benz model portfolio includes vehicles with trailer loads for any application, even up to a gross trailer weight of 3.5 tonnes for anyone wishing to take a particularly heavy caravan or a large boat with them on holiday. Customers ordering a factory-fitted trailer coupling will also benefit from a whole package of technical measures which are extremely complex or even impossible to retrofit.

Most of the models in the Mercedes-Benz range are available with a handy, removable trailer coupling and many offer the option of an ultra-convenient, swivelling trailer coupling too. Both the coupling itself and the overall vehicle set-up are subject to extremely tough operating requirements. The M-Class provides a prime example of just how comfortably a Mercedes-Benz handles these requirements: only recently, at Stuttgart Airport, this state-of-the-art four-wheel drive vehicle proved itself capable of pulling an Airbus A319 aeroplane weighing around 60 tonnes with ease.

The factory-fitted package of measures will in future include the new Mercedes-Benz Trailer Stability Assist (TSA). This is an extra function incorporated into the ESP® Electronic Stability Program that is designed to offer drivers even greater safety when towing a trailer. TSA is capable of detecting the dreaded fishtailing motion swiftly and nipping it in the bud effectively. To do this, it uses the ESP® program's own sensory system and initiates precision brake applications at the front left and right wheels individually and alternately to stabilise the car/trailer outfit. TSA will make its debut in the W 221-series Mercedes-Benz S Class, after which it will be made available for further model series successively. It is due to be added to the specification of the M-Class from late August 2005.

(July 07, 2005)

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