A full nine months after the introduction of the new E-Class sedan, the Mercedes-Benz has finally been tested by the independent organization EuroNCAP. The results come as little surprise given the German brand's well-known care for the safety and integrity of the people riding in its cars.
The E-Class was presented as one of the most advanced Mercedes-Benz vehicles to date. The company had to keep the rhetoric of its enthusiasm down a little as it didn't want to make its S-Class flagship look inferior, but as far as technology goes, it may very well be.
But all that plays little to no role in the safety tests organized by EuroNCAP. Only standard features are taken into consideration here, so the simulated crashes paint a very good picture of what would happen in case a base-spec E-Class would be involved in a collision.
The good news for all those who will be taking a taxi in Germany over the next few years is that the E-Class earned top marks overall. The executive sedan did remarkably well scoring maximum points in the lateral impact tests, which are considered the trickiest given the large opening needed for the doors and the tall B-pillar. However, the E-Class got all five stars with a general score for adult occupant safety of 95%.
In the child safety tests, the E-Class offered either good or adequate protection for frontal collisions, and impressed once again in case of a side collision. Based on all the results, EuroNCAP rated the overall child occupant safety of the E-Class at 90%.
The active hood of the E-Class helped it to a pedestrian safety score of 77%. When the vehicle detects a pedestrian has been struck, actuators in the hood lift it to reduce the intensity of the impact but also provide more space between the hard components in the engine bay and the deformable hood. However, the standard-fit autonomous emergency braking system should be able to prevent most such incidents.
Finally, the car's safety assist features were evaluated for a total score of just 62%. Bear in mind this only takes into account the minimum standard equipment fitted on absolutely every car. But go nuts with the options list and you can turn the E-Class into a true technological gem with lots of the added bits having a significant impact on the vehicle's passive safety.
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