ML-Class Earns Five Stars In Crash Test Rating

Posted by www.eMercedesBenz.com on October 04, 2005 at 8:27 AM CST

If you're thinking about buying a new ML-Class but are worried about  
safety, we have some good news for you.  In a recent crash test  
performed by the National Highway Traffic Administration, the 2006 ML- 
Class earned five stars (out of a possible five stars), becoming one  
of the few SUV's to do so.

To rate the ML, the National Highway Traffic Administration subjected  
the donor vehicles to two tests.  The first was the NCAP (New Car  
Assessment Program) in which the ML collided with a rigid wall at 36  
mph.  The second test was the SINCAP test (Side Impact New Car  
Assessment Program), in which a deformable barrier collided with the  
ML at 38.5 mph. In the two tests, the ML-Class earned five stars for  
both the front and rear passengers, which means that in the event of  
either of the two accidents, all passengers have less than a 5%  
chance of being seriously injured.

But what fun is reading about a crash test if you don't get to see  
it? Our thoughts exactly.  To view the videos of the crash, photos as  
well as the full press release, Click The Link Below:  Enjoy!

www.eMercedesBenz.com


OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Five stars for the M-Class

Stuttgart, Oct 04, 2005

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.



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