Stuttgart - The M-Class has
come out of the crash-test programme of the "National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration" with flying colours, becoming one of the first
SUVs to be awarded the maximum five-star rating for both the frontal and
side crashes in the US-NCAP test. Having been highly successful in
numerous safety tests covering all vehicle categories all over the world,
Mercedes-Benz has now once again proved that, really, one star on the car
is all it takes.
After earning five stars in
both the frontal and the side crash, the new M-Class now occupies a
leading position in the SUV segment. In the American version of the NCAP
test (New Car Assessment Program) the vehicles are subjected to a
front-end crash at 36 mph (56 km/h) against a rigid wall. The SINCAP test
(Side Impact New Car Assessment Program) specifies an impact by a
1368-kilogram deformable barrier against the side of the car on a level
with the front-seat occu-pants at 38.5 mph (62 km/h).
The M-Class
debuted on the American market six months ago and rapidly became a
trendsetter. The Mercedes off-roader sets new standards particularly with
regard to passive safety. The unitised body with its high-strength
passenger compartment and generous deformation zones front and rear
provides the basic foundation for outstanding occupant protection.
Adaptive two-stage front airbags for the driver and front passenger, front
sidebags, windowbags, belt tensioners and belt force limiters are all
standard specification.
One unique new feature in the
SUV segment is the PRE-SAFE® anticipatory occupant protection system. In
critical driving situations where an accident threatens, the system cuts
in like an athlete's reflexes, preparing the occupants and the vehicle for
a potential collision. As a precaution, PRE-SAFE® tensions both front
seat belts, moves the electrically adjustable front passenger seat to a
safer position and, if a roll-over appears imminent, also closes the
sunroof.
