Mercedes E-Class (2006-) Review

Safety and Security

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Top marks for passenger safety from independent crash testers EuroNCAP means that the E-Class is one of the safest cars on the road - although it only has one star for pedestrian impact.

The new E has also incorporated a number of new safety features. The Pre-Safe system found in the newest iteration of the S-Class has now been incorporated into the new E: this anticipates accidents, using signals from the ESP or recognising that braking has reached a critical level, and acts accordingly by pre-tensioning seatbelts, closing windows and the sunroof, and moving the electric front passenger seat to the optimal position to maximise the effectiveness of the airbags.

Also new to the E-Class is Neck-Pro active head restraints, which instantly move upwards and forwards after rear impact to protect front seat occupants from whiplash.

Perhaps the two most important safety developments are connected with lighting. The first is the addition of flashing brake lights to warn drivers to the rear if braking force exceeds a predetermined amount. Mercedes claims that its tests on the system demonstrate that a driver faced with a flashing brake light responds on average 0.2secs faster - which, at 62mph equates to a shortening of braking distance by 5.5m (longer than the length of an E-Class).

Mercedes is also claiming a world-first for its Intelligent Light System, available as an option on all models (£1,120 on Classic and Elegance, £340 on Avantgarde and Sport). The system has been designed to respond to driving and weather conditions, thanks to four new features.

Country mode (for use on rural roads) lights the left side of the road more brightly, up to a range of 10m. Motorway mode extends the range of visibility in two stages: above 55mph output of the bi-xenons increases to better illuminate the road surface and edges; and above 70mph the range of the nearside headlight increases to create a cone of light that lights up the width of the road to a distance of 120m, which, Mercedes claims, allows the driver to see 50m further than with conventional low beams.

Fog lights have also been enhanced, the left-hand light swivelling outwards slightly and lowering the cone of light to illuminate the nearside of the road and reduce back-glare in foggy conditions. Plus there's an active light function that uses data about the car's steering angle, yaw rate and speed to swivel the headlights in the optimal direction when the vehicle is turning.