The new technology demonstrated its advantages particularly well when driving in a line of traffic at 80 km/h on a country road: when the vehicle ahead was suddenly braked, the radar-based Brake Assist system prevented an accident in 93 percent of cases – while more than one in two test drives ended in a rear-end collision without the system. Even in situations where a collision was unavoidable owing to a late response by the driver, the new system helped to reduce the severity of the impact. This was confirmed by the measured impact speed, which was reduced from an average of 47 to 26 km/h thanks to Brake Assist PLUS.

·         More than 200 male and female drivers took part in practical trials in Europe and the USA, covering a total of more than 450,000 kilometers in 24 test cars. These journeys were recorded with the help of the latest measuring and video technology. Evaluation of the data and video sequences showed that Brake Assist PLUS also makes a major contribution to safety under real conditions.

In the future this innovative technology could also be developed into an autonomous braking system which is automatically activated when danger threatens and initiates emergency braking action – a further step on the way to the "vision of accident-free driving", the long-term goal of safety developers at Mercedes-Benz.

PRE-SAFE^®

World premiere of the second-generation preventive occupant protection system

·         BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE^® as a unique preventive safety system

·         New S-Class is a trendsetter for passenger car safety

·         Additional preventive occupant protection with inflatable seat cushions

Seven prizes and awards in just three years, together with praise and recognition from every quarter – that is the success story of PRE-SAFE^®, the preventive occupant protection system. Mercedes-Benz first presented the system to the public in 2002, and since then PRE-SAFE^® has proved its worth in more than 140,000 S-Class Sedans.

The system is able to detect critical driving situations in advance and intervenes to prepare both the occupants and the vehicle for an impending collision. If the vehicle enters a skid or if the driver is forced to brake hard in an emergency, PRE-SAFE^® tensions the front seat belts as a precaution, adjusts the front passenger seat to a favorable position and automatically closes the sliding sunroof if required. The position of the electrically adjustable, single rear seats is also improved. These preventive measures enable the seat belts and airbags to work more efficiently. If the accident is avoided, the preventive tensioning of the seat belt is automatically relaxed and the occupants are able to return the seats and sunroof to their previous positions. The system is then immediately ready to go into action again.

This early detection of accident-prone situations is based on a hitherto unique synergy of active and passive safety features. PRE-SAFE^® is linked to standard handling safety systems such as Brake Assist (BAS) and the Electronic Stability Program (ESP^®), whose sensors recognize potentially critical driving maneuvers. This information is passed to an electronic control unit, which activates the preventive occupant protection system as soon as certain threshold values are exceeded.

Safety system: a combination of radar, Brake Assist and PRE-SAFE^®

Three years after the world premiere of this trailblazing development, with which Mercedes-Benz began a new era in car safety, the second-generation PRE-SAFE^® system is now entering series production in the S-Class. Mercedes engineers have improved the interaction between active and passive safety systems even further. This means that networking the radar-based Brake Assist PLUS system with PRE-SAFE^® enables hazardous situations to be literally recognised in advance for even earlier activation of the preventive occupant protection features.

Accordingly the S-Class opens up new dimensions in car safety. No other automobile offers such a comprehensive safety system, which goes into action even before an impending accident.

While PRE-SAFE^® previously responded to emergency or panic braking – i.e. after reflex-like operation of the brake pedal by the driver – the system in the new
S-Class can also be activated if Brake Assist PLUS has used its radar system to predict an impending collision and a certain level of deceleration is exceeded when braking. The occupants are prepared for the potential collision by preventive tensioning of the front seat belts and repositioning of the seats (front passenger and rear seats), enabling the seat belts and airbags to give the best possible protection.

These well-proven PRE-SAFE^® functions are enhanced with additional preventive measures in the new S-Class. This means that the occupants are even better prepared for an impending accident – always with the aim that the seat belts, belt tensioners and airbags can perform their functions perfectly during a crash:

·         A newly developed multicontour seat (see page 33) ensures that the driver, front passenger and rear passengers are seated even more securely, thereby limiting dangerous whiplash movements by the upper body. If the PRE-SAFE^® control unit detects a critical handling situation, it immediately activates the air chambers in the seat cushions (front) and backrests (front and rear). These enclose the seat occupants and give them support. Tests at the Mercedes-Benz Technology Center have shown that this new PRE-SAFE^® function and preventive belt tensioning increases the distance between the shoulder and the inner door lining by up to 40 millimeters at a lateral acceleration of 0.6 g. This enables the sidebag to fulfill its protective function even more effectively.

·         Mercedes engineers have also made a further improvement to the standard windowbags with an additional preventive feature: if the new S-Class threatens to enter a skid with the probability of an accident, PRE-SAFE^® automatically closes the side windows. These then support the windowbag as it deploys during a side impact or rollover. In addition, this new PRE-SAFE^® function reduces the risk of the occupants being thrown out of the car or objects penetrating into the interior in the event of a crash.

Preview: PRE-SAFE^® knee cushion for the front passenger

Mercedes-Benz will continue to develop preventive occupant protection features in the coming years. Future PRE-SAFE^® concepts for even better preparation of the occupants when an accident threatens will for example include an automatically extending knee cushion which supports the front passenger and reduces impact loads on the legs during a crash. The knee cushion emerges from the lower section of the instrument panel before an impending collision; however its action is reversible, just like that of the PRE-SAFE^® belt tensioners. The knee cushion is retracted once the danger of an accident recedes. On the same principle it might be conceivable to design interior door panels which move towards the occupants before a crash, keeping them away from body areas which might penetrate into the interior when an impact occurs. Extending B-pillar linings could fulfill similar support functions.

When PRE-SAFE^® developers consider the future they also imagine a protective system which is configured for the individual parameters of the car occupants. It might be conceivable for the driver and front passenger to program the onboard computer with personal data such as their height, weight, gender and age before starting off, for example. This information would then enable the rate of inflation during airbag deployment, the force of the belt tensioners and the operation of the belt force limiters to be individually set. In addition it would be possible for PRE-SAFE^® to control such things as the automatic seat positioning before an accident in accordance with the size of the occupant.

Adaptive brake light: Effective warning to prevent rear-end collisions

·         Standard equipment in the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class

·         Braking distance shortened by more than four meters at 80 km/h

In their efforts to reduce the large number of dangerous rear-end collisions Mercedes engineers have supplemented Brake Assist PLUS with a new development which warns drivers of this risk more effectively than before: flashing brake lights.

Research by Mercedes engineers has shown that driver reaction times are shortened by up to 0.2 seconds if a flashing red warning signal is given instead of the conventional brake light during emergency braking. At a speed of 80 km/h this reduces the stopping distance by about 4.40 meters and at 100 km/h by no less than some 5.50 meters. This means that flashing brake lights are an effective and an easily implemented way to reduce rear-end collisions. It also makes motoring safer for road users who do not drive a Mercedes-Benz.

Specialists at Mercedes tested various warning light systems during their study. Brake lights which flash four times as quickly as the amber hazard warning lights during emergency braking proved particularly effective in alerting following drivers to the danger of a rear-end collision. The Mercedes study also revealed that switching on the hazard warning system in a dangerous situation has no significant effect on the reaction times of other drivers.

DISTRONIC PLUS

More safety and convenience in stop-and-go traffic

·         World premiere in the new S-Class

·         Wider performance range with two radar systems

·         Proximity and speed control between zero and 200 km/h

·         Automatic braking in head-to-tail traffic

In 1998 a long-held dream for many drivers was fulfilled in the S-Class with the DISTRONIC autonomous intelligent cruise control system: an electronic co-pilot which keeps the car at a set speed and at a set distance from the vehicle ahead – comfortably and stress-free. Mercedes-Benz was the world’s first automobile manufacturer to offer its customers such a system.

Autonomous intelligent cruise control – this term revealed the nature of this innovative system, namely a logical further development of the cruise control system which had long proved its worth as a convenience function on less busy roads by keeping the vehicle to a speed preset by the driver. Once traffic becomes denser, with a constant reduction in the gap between vehicles, the driver is however obliged to intervene personally, change the preset speed or switch the cruise control function off altogether.

It was for such traffic situations that Mercedes-Benz developed DISTRONIC. This combines the cruise control function with a radar sensor in the radiator grille which monitors the traffic situation ahead of the S-Class up to a range of 150 meters. For this purpose the system uses one of the fastest and most powerful micro-computers ever developed for automotive applications. This processes the signals from the radar sensor, which are reflected by vehicles ahead and change their frequency. The control unit uses this change in frequency to calculate the relative speeds of the two vehicles, and determines the distance on the basis of the time taken for the signals to reflect.  If the gap between the vehicles decreases, the proximity control system automatically decelerates or operates the brakes if necessary. If the vehicle ahead increases the distance or changes lane, DISTRONIC operates as a conventional cruise control system and keeps the speed to the preset level. 

Evolution: two radar systems for long and short range

Mercedes-Benz has developed this highly efficient support system even further for the new S-Class, hence the name DISTRONIC PLUS.

By combining the previous DISTRONIC radar (77 GHz) with the newly developed close-range radar (24 GHz), which is also used for Brake Assist PLUS, Mercedes engineers have been able to extend the working range of the proximity control system even further, from 0.2 to 150 meters. While the 77-Gigahertz radar monitors the road ahead over a long distance, the signals from the 24-Gigahertz sensors have a range of around 30 meters and monitor the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. The electronic control unit analyses the information received from both radar systems and calculates the engine, automatic transmission and braking parameters required for proximity control.

In addition, the speed range for this control function has been increased from the previous 30 - 180 km/h to zero - 200 km/h. This means that when the traffic tails back, DISTRONIC PLUS automatically brakes the S-Class to a standstill and accelerates back to the set speed as soon as the traffic situation allows. To move off automatically, the driver only needs to operate the DISTRONIC stalk on the steering column or briefly depress the accelerator.

As before, the required distance can be set according to the traffic flow and density: using a control function on the DISTRONIC stalk, the driver is able to variably adjust the time lapse between one and two seconds if required by the traffic situation. The medium setting corresponds to a time lapse of 1.5 seconds, representing a gap of around 42 meters at a speed of 100 km/h. The target and actual distances between the S-Class and the vehicle ahead are shown in the central display of the instrument cluster.

Head-to-tail traffic: automatic braking to a standstill

As more dynamic proximity control intervention is often required at lower speeds, i.e. in stop-and-go traffic with frequent starting and braking, the acceleration and deceleration values of the system have been reconfigured. Depending on the speed, automatic deceleration of up to four m/s² (previously two m/s²) is now possible. If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that heavier braking is required, a warning light appears in the instrument cluster. This is accompanied by an acoustic warning which tells the driver to watch the traffic situation and apply the brakes himself if necessary.

The electronic proximity control system can be activated independently of DISTRONIC PLUS. In this case too, the system continuously monitors the distance from the vehicles ahead and gives the driver an acoustic warning if he is approaching another vehicle too rapidly at a speed of more than 30 km//h, and lights up a warning lamp if the gap is too small.

The DISTRONIC PLUS equipment package also includes the preventive Brake Assist PLUS (see Page 10) and the new Parking Assist (see Page 27).

Practical trials: DISTRONIC as a contribution to greater safety and reduced stress

Mercedes-Benz examined the positive effects of DISTRONIC on driving and driver-fitness safety during long-distance trials in the USA and Germany. More than
140 male and female drivers took part, covering a total of almost 200,000 kilometers. The results:

·         At 70 to 110 km/h the safety gap increased by an average of 29 percent when the test drivers had activated DISTRONIC. In the USA this support system increased the gap by a mean of 13 to 25 percent.

·         When DISTRONIC was switched on, the style of driving was smoother and therefore more relaxed than without the system. This was shown by the measured acceleration and deceleration times.

·         When the proximity control system was activated, the mean heart rate of the test drivers only increased by an average of 1.8 beats per minute compared to the normal pulse. When driving without DISTRONIC the heart rate increased by 3.2 beats per minute, which indicates more stress on the drivers. 

Mercedes-Benz also subjected DISTRONIC PLUS to exhaustive practical trials. These involved more than 200 male and female drivers in Europe and the USA, who thought very highly of this improved support system. This was illustrated by frequent use of DISTRONIC PLUS during the long-distance journeys: while the conventional DISTRONIC system was "only" switched on for around one third of the routes in Germany, DISTRONIC PLUS was in action for more than half of all journeys. In the USA the drivers switched on the new system for as much as two thirds of the routes, while the rate of use for the previous proximity control system was around 42 percent.

Night view assist

Infrared headlamps for improved long-range visibility 

·         New technology for the prevention of accidents at night

·         Significantly better visibility than with conventional low-beam headlamps

·         No dazzling of oncoming traffic

·         Great safety potential confirmed in practical trials

The risk of serious injury in road traffic is much greater in twilight and in the dark than during daylight hours. Although average traffic density is reduced to only around 15 percent at night, more than one in three fatal traffic accidents occur at this time.

Accordingly Mercedes-Benz has for many years been devoting great research efforts to making driving safer at night. New developments such as xenon low-beam headlamps (1995), bi-xenon headlamps (1999), the Active Light System (2003) and the cornering light function (2004) have made important contributions.

Night view assist, which is celebrating its European premiere in the new S-Class, is a further milestone in this area of passenger car technology. It is optionally available in conjunction with bi-xenon headlamps and the Active Light System. This means that the new Mercedes flagship model has a unique package consisting of the best and most effective lighting technology currently available.

In the dark, the newly developed night view assist system provides the driver with a much greater range of vision than conventional low-beam headlamps, enabling the course of the road, pedestrians, cyclists and obstacles to be recognised much sooner. At the same time the system relieves driver stress during tiring journeys at night, keeping the driver fit enough to respond rapidly and appropriately in critical situations.

Accident statistics: high risk for car drivers and pedestrians at night

This innovative system was developed on the basis of accident research:

·         In 2003 there were 2630 fatalities in road accidents in twilight and darkness in Germany – this corresponds to almost 40 percent of all road traffic deaths in that year.

·         In the USA there were 18,731 fatalities in twilight and darkness, almost 50 percent of all fatal accidents in the year 2003.

Accident researchers have concluded that problems of visual perception play a part in every second accident at night. This is why they consider visibility from the vehicle and the early detection of other road users to have further potential for improving road safety in the hours of darkness. The night view assist system in the new S-Class is able to make a major contribution to this, as accident analyses by Mercedes-Benz have confirmed: on the basis of data obtained from a joint accident research project conducted by German automobile manufacturers and the German road transport authority, Mercedes-Benz specialists have analyzed the accident pattern at night and identified a high safety potential for night view assist.

During collisions at night there is a preponderance of cases where drivers lose control of their vehicle – often because they are unable to recognize the course of the road in time and do not adjust their speed. Around 54 percent of these vehicles leave the road, and more than one quarter of these (26 percent) collide with oncoming traffic.

The new night view assist system can also help to improve the safety of pedestrians, as German accident statistics indicate that more than 55 percent of fatal accidents involving pedestrians occur in twilight or darkness.

Technology: infrared beams in the headlamps, camera on the windscreen

The night view assist system for the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class mainly consists of six components:

·         The driver activates the system by means of a switch to the left of the rotary light switch. It must be dark outside and the low-beam beam headlamps must be switched on.

·         Two special searchlights in the headlamp housings illuminate the road ahead with invisible infrared light. When night view assist is active, these are automatically switched on when a speed of 15 km/h is reached, and remain on when braking down to about 10 km/h. Night view assist is not operational when reversing.

·         An infrared-sensitive camera on the inside of the windscreen records the scene ahead of the vehicle. A diffused-light panel protects the camera against extraneous light reflections.

·         An electronic control unit processes the image from the infrared camera and transfers it to the display in the instrument cluster as a clear grayscale image.

As soon as night view assist is activated, the display in the centre of the instrument cluster is switched over to show the camera image. The large eight-inch display is directly in the driver’s field of vision, and he can use it like the speedometer and cockpit instruments to glance down regularly, monitor the situation ahead of the S-Class as shown by the infrared image and adjust his driving accordingly.

When the system is switched on, the speed indication changes from a dial instrument to a horizontal, bar-type display at the lower edge of the camera image.

Practical trials: significantly more safety in critical situations

Night view assist has the same range as main-beam headlamps, but without dazzling oncoming drivers.

Mercedes engineers examined the capabilities of this technology in a series of trials. During comparative test drives with low-beam bi-xenon headlamps and the new night view assist system, the male and female test drivers recognized obstacles in the road much sooner when assisted by the infrared light system. During tests, drivers were already able to discern test dummies at the roadside dressed in light-colored clothing at a range of around 210 meters, which is about 41 meters sooner than with low-beam bi-xenon headlamps. The system proves even more effective in the case of pedestrians in dark clothing. In these situations the night view assist system already enabled the drivers to identify the test dummies at a range of around 164 meters, but only at about 72 meters when driving with low-beam bi-xenon headlamps alone. This represents a safety improvement of no less than 125 percent.

Even when the headlamps of oncoming vehicles dazzle the driver and heavily obscure the view, visibility is much better with this support system: a test dummy in light-colored clothing standing at the road edge 50 meters behind an oncoming vehicle was detected from an average distance of 140 meters with the help of night view assist – around 53 meters sooner than with low-beam bi-xenon headlamps.

Parking Assist

Parking and reversing by radar

·         Four close-range sensors at the front, two in the rear bumper

·         Wide detection area and a range of up to eleven meters

·         Collision warning when reversing at 7 km/h or more

Mercedes-Benz also uses the latest radar technology for the new Parking Assist in the S-Class, which is available in conjunction with DISTRONIC PLUS and Brake Assist PLUS. This system uses the four close-range sensors at the front and two radar sensors in the rear bumper to assist the driver when parking or warn him of obstacles when reversing.

The newly developed system operates with a much greater range and coverage than PARKTRONIC, which is based on ultrasound technology. The radar sensors of Parking Assist operate up to a distance of eleven meters and have a spread of 40 degrees, which means that the driver is warned of an impending collision much sooner. This is an advantage which becomes particularly obvious when reversing over a longer distance. In this case the system is active from a speed of seven km/h, and warns the driver with an acoustic signal if a collision threatens. This allows enough time to prevent the collision with firm operation of the brake pedal.

When parking the vehicle, the system supports the driver within a speed range from zero to 16 km/h. When moving forward, the color display in the instrument cluster shows two segments which indicate the distance from an obstacle within the range of the radar sensors on the left and right sides, thereby allowing the vehicle to be parked with absolute precision. When the first red segment lights up an intermittent warning is also sounded. A constant warning note is sounded when the second red segment is reached; informing the driver that the minimum distance has been reached. When reversing, a display in the rear roof lining is switched on and indicates the distance from any obstacles – once again for each side of the vehicle and with an acoustic warning over the last few centimeters.

The system is as easy to operate as PARKTRONIC: Parking Assist is automatically activated as soon as the driver has started the engine and released the parking lock.

Seat technology

First-class comfort made to measure

·      New multicontour seat with individual five-zone adjustment

·      Luxury head restraints with crash-responsive NECK-PRO technology

·      Effective back massage function with seven air chambers

·      All comfort innovations now also for passengers in the rear

Relaxed and fatigue-free driving was one of the principal goals during the development of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The seats in the luxury Sedan make a major contribution to this. A team of engineers paid detailed attention to all aspects of seating comfort and used long years of experience to realize concepts with which this flagship model by Mercedes sets new standards. In addition, specialists from the DaimlerChrysler Research department conducted a series of studies to analyze the requirements and wishes of Mercedes customers with respect to seating comfort. Several months of practical trials in various climatic zones around the world, static tests and reports by orthopedic specialists, sports physicians and physiotherapists rounded off this sophisticated development program.

A new 12-way seat already offers the driver and front passenger outstanding comfort even in the standard version. The fore-aft-aft position, backrest and cushion angle, seat height, head restraint and seat cushion depth are electrically adjustable – independently and variably, so that each occupant is able to choose the best individual seating position. This also applies to comfort and support for the lower back, as pneumatic two-way lumbar supports are also standard equipment for the front seats. These enable the driver and front passenger to adapt the backrest contours to their own anatomy, relieving the back muscles.

To ensure that the chosen seating position does not need to be readopted after every change of driver or front passenger, the S500 is equipped with a memory function as standard. Both front seats are able to store up to three memory positions. Pressing one of the memory keys in the door panel causes the driver’s seat, steering wheel and exterior mirrors to move to the stored positions automatically. Things are even more convenient with the key memory function: the microchips in the electronic ignition key and the magnetic cards of the inductive KEYLESS-GO system also have two memory positions for seat adjustment. This means that the seats automatically move to the chosen positions as soon as the doors are unlocked.

As a new feature, the electric seat adjustment can be switched over so that the driver can also operate the front passenger seat if required.

Not only the numerous personal seat adjustments are outstanding, but also the wide adjustment ranges. This ensures that occupants of very different sizes will find the new S-Class extremely comfortable. Details:

·      Fore-and-aft adjustment     290 millimeters

·      Seat height                         85 millimeters

·      Seat cushion length            65 millimeters

·      Head restraint height          85 millimeters

·      Seat cushion angle             +/- four degrees

·      Backrest angle                    51 degrees

Operation: now also with the COMAND system

As has been usual at Mercedes-Benz for many years, the switches for the individual seat adjustments in the new S-Class are designed as unmistakable pictograms. These represent the seat backrest, cushion and head restraint and are located within easy reach in the interior door panels. As a new feature, the lumbar supports and multicontour functions can now be individually adjusted using COMAND. Rapid access to the seat adjustment menu in this control system is provided by pressing the direct selection button in front of the COMAND controller. This causes a photo-quality image of the seat to appear in the color display, with a color-coded representation of the different air cushions. These can be individually selected and adjusted as required using the controller.

Upholstery: combination of a spring core and foam material

The technical structure of the newly developed seats for the S-Class reflects the traditionally high quality standards of the Mercedes-Benz brand. This means a steel spring core with a layer of breathable Pullmaflex padding, rubberized natural fiber hair matting and additional elements of open-pored polyurethane foam. The seat covering is also lined with non-woven material. This combination has performed outstandingly in the preceding model and during numerous exhaustive tests. This technology produces particularly good results in terms of climatic comfort and long-term durability.

The seat covers likewise meet the highest standards. In addition to high-quality fabrics there is a choice of two different leather upholsteries whose lower pre-tensioning and resulting folds immediately make the seats appear comfortable and inviting – a pleasant visual impression which is confirmed by touching the soft surface of the new, fine PASSION leather.

The seats are anchored according to a new concept: the front seats are not mounted on conventional frames bolted to the floor, but have carrier rails along the sides which are attached to the sills and the transmission tunnel. This leaves the centre areas beneath the seats available as extended footwells for the rear passengers.

Head restraints: crash-responsive with movable side bolsters

Softly padded luxury head restraints with manually adjustable side bolsters are optionally available for the front and outer rear seats of the S-Class. These enable passengers to rest their heads comfortably, and with good support from the newly developed head restraint. The luxury head restraint also incorporates intelligent NECK-PRO technology: in the event of a rear-end collision, the head restraint is immediately moved 44 millimeters forwards and 30 millimeters upwards by a pretensioned spring to give early support to the head of the seat occupant. This reduces the risk of whiplash injuries. After activation of NECK-PRO the head restraints can be unlocked using a supplied tool and manually returned to their original position.

Ventilation: six fans in the seat padding

The seat development specialists at Mercedes are not only concerned with classic comfort characteristics such as the springs and padding, but also with the all-round wellbeing of the car’s occupants. The materials and structure of a Mercedes seat must ensure comfort in all weather and temperature conditions. This is ensured by breathable materials and the high-quality fabric or leather upholstery used for S-Class seats. Even more climatic comfort is provided by actively ventilated luxury seats, which celebrated their world premiere in the outgoing S-Class: miniature fans in the seat cushion and backrest take in cool air at floor level and evenly distribute this via a woven ventilation pad under the surface of the seat. This gentle airflow ensures that the occupants remain cool and comfortable even at high outside temperatures.

Specialists have now improved this technology even further. The heated, actively ventilated luxury seats (optional) in the new S-Class are equipped with even more efficient fan controls which regulate likewise improved mini-fans in the seat cushion (4) and backrest (2) of each front seat. The upholstery materials have also been modified to improve the efficiency of the heating and ventilation functions even further. The heating elements are now located directly beneath the seat covers.

Active seat ventilation is also available for the rear if the S-Class is equipped with leather upholstery and electrically adjustable outer rear seats.

Multicontour seat: eleven air chambers for individual seating comfort

Like active seat ventilation, the multicontour seat is a very successful Mercedes invention which greatly contributes to the high level of long-distance comfort in cars bearing the Mercedes star. Multicontour means that the occupants are able to adapt the contours of the seat to their individual anatomical or comfort requirements. This is made possible by air chambers within the seat padding.

A new-generation multicontour seat is celebrating its premiere in the new
S-Class. This has even more functions -- and therefore provides even greater comfort. While the previous multicontour seat featured six air chambers, the driver and front passenger are now able to adjust five zones in their seats with the help of eleven air chambers. These are...

·         the two side bolsters of the seat cushion;

·         the thigh support which adjusts the leg position;

·         the lumbar support, which is also height-adjustable;

·         the two side bolsters of the seat backrest;

·         the shoulder support.

The firmness of the seats can also be adjusted to vary the spring and damping characteristics individually. Three stages are available which inflate the air chambers in the seat cushion to varying degrees. The firmness of the seats is likewise programmed using the COMAND controller and the color display for the control system. 

Pneumatics: fit for PRE-SAFE^® with fast piezo valves

Thanks to new piezo valves, the pneumatics of the multicontour system operate even more quietly and precisely than before. Moreover, the valves are now in a decentralized configuration and therefore respond more rapidly, which means that for the first time, the multicontour seats can also be integrated into the PRE-SAFE^® preventive occupant protection system: if PRE-SAFE^® detects an impending collision, it not only tensions the front seat belts but also inflates the air chambers in the side bolsters of the seat cushions and backrests as a precaution. These bolsters enclose and support the occupants, also increasing the distance to the interior door panels during an impact and enabling the sidebag to fulfill its protective function more effectively (see page 14).

The air chambers also feature new technology, which makes it possible to control the movement of the chambers more precisely and rapidly for better adjustment of the seat contours.

Multicontour technology with the PRE-SAFE^® function is now also available as an option for the rear seat unit with electrically adjustable outer seats. The driver’s seat and rear seat with the multicontour function have received a seal of approval from a German association for the promotion of spinal health.

Dynamic multicontour seat: lateral support to suit the driving situation

S-Class customers can treat themselves to the ultimate in seating comfort by opting for the dynamic variant of the multicontour seat, which also features a unique massage function. The new, decentralized piezo valves on the air chambers tangibly improve the dynamic functions of the multicontour seat, as they respond to steering movements more rapidly. Depending on the steering angle, lateral acceleration and vehicle speed, they vary the inflation pressure and volume of the side air chambers in the backrests within fractions of a second, providing the driver and front passenger with even better lateral support. This happens according to the driving situation. The system inflates the air chambers on the right side of the backrest more strongly when negotiating a left-hand bend, for example, while inflating the air chambers on the left when a right-hand bend is taken. This dynamic multicontour function, which is adjustable in two stages, relieves muscular stress and heightens the feeling of wellbeing.

The massage function for the dynamic multicontour seat is also a completely new development by Mercedes specialists. This no longer makes use of the air chambers with which the seat contours are adjusted, but rather a separate package of air chambers which is directly integrated into the seat padding. This means that the massage is independent of the seat contour position, maintaining the individual comfort settings.

A micro-computer controls the seven separate massage air chambers. This inflates and empties the air chambers according to a fixed program, which passengers in the new S-Class perceive as a pleasant, pulsing motion across the entire back. This stimulates the muscles, improves the circulation and helps to prevent early fatigue. The massage program lasts for five minutes and can be restarted at any time once the cycle has finished. The intensity and speed of the massage function can also be individually adjusted, from "slow and gentle" to "fast and powerful".  

Rear seats: large range of options for tailor-made comfort

Multicontour seats with the massage function are also available for the rear seats of the new Mercedes Sedan on request. This requires the rear seat unit with electrically adjustable outer seats, which is standard equipment in models with the long wheelbase. There is a choice of two massage programs.

This means that passengers in the rear now also benefit from all the seating innovations in the new S-Class, with a lasting effect on comfort and wellbeing.