A completely undisguised version of the
next-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class has been spotted and confirms that the
Mercedes’ designers have taken a safe route with the styling of the new car,
following BMW’s lead with the latest 3-series by retaining the previous model’s overall
proportions but sharpening things up a bit.
Underpinning the car is Mercedes’ flexible
MRA rear-wheel-drive platform, which also features in the larger E-Class and
S-Class models. The platform features a mix of aluminum, high-strength steels
and even some composites. This has helped engineers shed some 220 pounds off
the weight of the outgoing C-Class, while also allowing the new model to be
safer and more rigid.
A number of tech features have also been
borrowed from the car’s bigger brothers. These include air suspension, vehicle
surround monitoring systems and more advanced active braking systems.
As for the
drivetrains, expect to see an eight- or possibly even a nine-spped automatic fitted. We’re unlikely to see a three-cylinder engine offered in the C-Class
anytime soon but a turbocharged 1.8-liter engine should make its way into the
base model. A V-6 should remain, and will be joined by a range of diesel engines and a new hybrid. This hybrid model will likely
pair a four-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor sandwiched between
the engine and gearbox.
Michael Schumacher is one of the most experienced and the most successful Formula one driver there has ever been. You'd feel safe with him driving any car, and you'd expect him to be able to handle any situation without crashing. But when he was given the task of crashing the new C-Class, he failed completely. The car is packed full of safety aids, probably more than you get on the easy setting in the Formula One video games that see a refresh every year. The list of aids include-
Collision
Prevention Assist Plus - At speeds of 30 km/h (19mph) and above, the system issues a visual
warning if the gap between the driver's vehicle and the vehicle ahead is too
small, with an additional acoustic warning at 7 km/h (4 mph) and above if there
is a danger of collision, and provides an adaptive braking assistance function which,
depending on the situation, can boost braking if the driver is not braking hard
enough. If the driver does not react, now, for the first time in a
series-production system, a collision with slower or stopping vehicles ahead
when driving at speeds of up to 200 km/h (124 mph) can be prevented or at least
minimized by automatic, autonomous partial braking. The system also brakes in
response to stationary vehicles at a speed of up to 50 km/h (31 mph), and is
able to prevent rear-end collisions at speeds of up to 40 km/h (25 mph).
Distronic Plus
with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot - helps the driver to maintain a suitable
distance, even in stop-and-go traffic. The steering assistance feature is new
and helps the driver with lateral control of the vehicle, even on gentle bends,
and offers a traffic jam vehicle following function.
The Pre-Safe Brake
- provides
autonomous braking in the absence of a driver reaction. In typical urban
driving scenarios, it can prevent collisions with pedestrians or stationary vehicles
at speeds of up to approx. 50 km/h (31 mph); or, at speeds of up to approx. 70
km/h (43 mph) reduce the impact of such collisions.
Brake Assist Plus
with CrossTraffic Assist - can, depending on the situation, boost the braking strength applied
by the driver, if necessary up to full brake application and, for the first
time, can also react to crossing traffic and pedestrians.
Active Blind Spot
Assist - issues a visual
and - if the indicator is activated - an acoustic warning of the presence of a
vehicle in the blind spot area; and can prevent a potential side-on collision
by applying the brakes unilaterally at the last moment.
Active Lane
Keeping Assist - warns against
unintentional drifting across a lane through vibrations of the steering wheel;
and if the vehicle actually crosses a lane marking, corrects the vehicle's
position through unilateral brake application. It also applies the brakes
unilaterally if the vehicle drifts across a lane marking and the neighboring
lane has, for example, oncoming traffic, overtaking or overtaken vehicles in
it.
So, the C-Class
looks to be a very safe car that is really hard to crash because it simply
won’t let you. I’ve also heard it said in the past that the technology you see
added to new Mercedes cars will filter down to the low end within 10 years. So
by 2023 maybe all cars will have these advanced safety systems. Although, by
then we may any other auto-mated vehicle to drive.
Source: OverDrive
