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1999 Mercedes M-Class Sport Utility Vehicle Has Extra Features

12 February 1999

1999 Mercedes M-Class Sport Utility Vehicles Feature Continental Teves- Supplied Electronic Stability Program Plus Other Electronic Chassis And Braking Systems

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 11 -- The new 1999 Mercedes-Benz
ML430 and ML320 sport-utility vehicles come with one of the most extensive
lists of safety technologies available as standard equipment, particularly
electronic chassis and braking systems.
    Standard equipment includes an Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Brake
Assist, electronic traction control and a four-wheel anti-lock braking system
supplied by Continental Teves.
    The Mercedes M-Class vehicles have already been recognized for their
unmatched combination of quality, performance, safety and value within the SUV
market.  A number of leading automotive magazines and journalists'
organizations have named the M-Class models "Vehicle of the Year."
    Advanced systems supplied by Continental Teves are the latest examples of
sophisticated technologies to be employed among SUVs including the following
standard braking and electronic chassis systems on the V8-powered ML430 and
V6-powered ML320.

    Electronic Stability Program:  ESP monitors the vehicle's response to the
driver's steering and braking inputs to detect oversteer or understeer.  If
sensors detect that a skidding condition is developing, ESP brakes individual
front or rear wheels and/or reduces excess power as needed to help keep the
vehicle going in the direction the driver is steering.

    Brake Assist: This technology senses emergency braking by detecting the
speed at which the driver presses the brake pedal and immediately applying all
available power boost.  Brake Assist can potentially reduce overall stopping
distance by eliminating the delay caused by a common human tendency of not
braking hard enough or soon enough.  Of course, in actual driving situations,
braking effectiveness also depends on proper brake system maintenance and tire
and road conditions.

    Electronic Brake Force Distribution: This system controls the balance
between front and rear brake forces to optimize braking efficiency across all
vehicle loading and driving conditions.  The system also promotes increased
brake pad life.

    4-ETS (four-wheel Electronic Traction System):  Working with the vehicles'
full-time four-wheel drive, 4-ETS uses individual wheel-speed sensors to
detect the onset of wheel slip.  Then it individually brakes the slipping
wheels as needed, providing the effect of locking the front, center and/or
rear differentials.  The 4-ETS system continually balances the torque split to
direct power to the wheel or wheels with traction.

    Four-wheel, four-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS):  The ABS system
prevents the vehicle's wheels from locking during hard braking situations and
helps drivers maintain the ability to steer the vehicle where they want it to
go.  The vehicles' automatically engaging loose-surface program helps shorten
stopping distances from speeds of less than 18 mph when the transfer case is
in low range.

    These technologies are part of a Mercedes-Benz safety standard that was
designed into the M-Class from the start.  Engineers from Continental Teves
worked closely with their counterparts at Mercedes-Benz to translate advanced
electronic braking and chassis technologies into safety and convenience
benefits for everyday driving.
    Continental Teves is a leading supplier of braking and electronic chassis
systems for the global automotive industry.  It is a unit of the Continental
Automotive Systems division of Continental AG, the world's fourth largest tire
manufacturer.  Its Continental General Tire unit supplies the tires used on
the M-Class vehicles.