New Mercedes E-Class sets a new level, not only in design and engineering solutions,
but also in safety and comfort for the driver and passengers.
DRIVE PILOT represents Mercedes-Benz's next step along the road to autonomous driving.
As Distance Pilot DISTRONIC on motorways and country roads, it is not only able to keep
the car the correct distance behind vehicles in front automatically, it can also follow
them at a speed of up to 210 km/h for the first time.
This can make life easier for the driver, who no longer needs to operate the brake or
accelerator pedal during normal driving and also receives plenty of steering assistance
from the Steering Pilot – even on moderate bends.
The system can continue to intervene actively by taking account of surrounding vehicles
and parallel structures at speeds up to 130 km/h, even if the lines are unclear or non-existent,
like at road works.
Another feature is the extended restart function, which allows automatic starting of the vehicle
within 30 seconds following a stop initiated by the Distance Pilot DISTRONIC on motorways
or similar roads.
Further new development designed to relieve stress: in combination with COMAND Online,
the selectable Speed Limit Pilot subfunction can autonomously adjust the vehicle's speed
in response to camera-detected speed limits or logged in the navigation system speed limits
, e.g. 50 km/h in built-up areas or 100 km/h on country roads.
Additional DRIVE PILOT innovations include, for the first time, an Active Lane-change
Assistant.
This radar- and camera-based assistance system assists the driver when changing lanes on
multi-lane roads and can steer the vehicle into the lane selected by the driver – when
overtaking, for example.
Once the driver has indicated to turn for at least two seconds, the Active Lane-change
Assistant assists with steering into the adjacent lane if it detects that the lane is unoccupied.
In 2013, Mercedes-Benz was the first manufacturer to introduce widespread car-to-car networking
in the form of a retrofit solution.
This is now to be followed by the logical next step as the world's first fully integral
Car-to-X solution goes into series production.
The mobile phone-supported exchange of information with other vehicles further ahead on the road,
for example, can effectively allow the driver to "see around corners" or "through obstacles"
well in advance.
This means that the driver receives an earlier warning than previously in the event of imminent
danger, such as a broken down vehicle at the edge of the road or also in the event of heavy
rain or black ice on the road ahead.
In this case the new E-Class simultaneously acts as a receiver and a transmitter, since
warning messages are conveyed automatically by evaluating vehicle statuses or manually
by the driver to the backend.
Compared with the standard version, this system has extended speed thresholds with respect
to vehicles and pedestrians.
Furthermore, it can detect crossing traffic at junctions and, if the driver fails to respond,
apply the brakes autonomously.
For the first time, it can also detect hazardous situations at the tail end of traffic jams
where there is no room to manoeuvre and initiate autonomous braking far sooner in such situations.
Consequently, it is possible to completely avoid accidents at speeds up to 100 km/h or
substantially reduce the severity of accidents at speeds above this level.
The intelligent assistance systems in the new Driver Assistance package also include
proven systems that have been further developed in terms of their mode of operation and the
sensors they use.
Active Lane Keeping Assist can help stop the driver from unintentionally changing lane,
this being done by corrective one-sided application of the brakes, including in the case of broken
lines and risk of collision, e.g. with oncoming traffic or fast overtaking vehicles.
Active Blind Spot Assist can now also warn of the risk of a lateral collision in typical
urban traffic at low speeds and, as before, correctively intervene at the last moment
to prevent a collision at speeds above 30 km/h.
PRE-SAFE® PLUS can protect against collisions with traffic following behind and their effects
on the occupants.
This likewise new system ideally complements the pedestrian detection function of Active
Brake Assist.
When the driver deliberately or instinctively performs an evasive manoeuvre in a dangerous
situation, this function can assist by adding precisely calculated steering torque to support
the movement of the steering wheel.
This helps the driver to avoid the pedestrian in a controlled manner while subsequently
facilitating the straightening-up of the vehicle to allow the situation to be negotiated safely.
The anticipatory occupant protection system PRE-SAFE can recognize critical driving situations
at an early stage and take precaution measures to protect the occupants.
The measures include the reversible tensioning the seat belts of the driver and passenger,
closing optionally open windows and roof systems and - in conjunction with electric seat adjustment
- the positioning of the passenger seat in a favorable position in an accident.
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert at the exit from the parking lot back to signals in the case
of moving vehicles to avoid accidents.
For this first time, this system allows the vehicle to be moved into and out of garages
and parking spaces remotely using a smartphone app, enabling the occupants to get into and
out of the car easily, even if space is very tight.
This channel OldBenz.
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