New Mercedes-Benz E-Class W213 photos were leaked today. And I am not surprised with the new design. It is still conservative E-Class and a bit stuck between the S-Class and the C-Class. However the interior is amazing.

Here is the list of the things the new and boring looking Mercedes-Benz E-Class can do it by itself. I copied pasted them from the Mercedes-Benz website, so you can read the all details of the new driving assistance systems.

DRIVE PILOT

This system 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. Another unique feature at speeds up to 130 km/h is the fact that, like in a swarm, the system can continue to intervene actively by taking account of surrounding vehicles and parallel structures, even if the lines are unclear or non-existent, like at road works. The system therefore makes driving much easier, especially in traffic jams or heavy congestion. Another feature that helps to relieve the workload on the driver in such situations 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 speed limits logged in the navigation system, 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.

Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function

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.

Evasive Steering Assist

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.

Advanced assistance systems

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.

Remote Parking Pilot

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.

Car-to-X communication

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.

PRE-SAFE® impulse side

This system is part of the Driving Assistance package PLUS. If a lateral collision has been detected and is imminent, it moves the driver or front passenger away from the danger zone in a sideways direction by way of precaution. To do this, the system inflates an air chamber in the side bolster of the front seat backrest nearest the side of the imminent impact in a fraction of a second, thus increasing the distance between occupant and door and, at the same time, reducing the forces acting on the occupants.

PRE-SAFE® Sound

This system is based on a human reflex in the inner ear, called the stapedius reflex. PRE-SAFE® Sound emits a short interference signal through the vehicle’s sound system if the risk of a collision is detected. This signal can trigger the natural reflex and thus prepare the occupants’ ears for the expected sound of the accident.

High-resolution MULTIBEAM LED headlamps

Each with 84 individually controlled high-performance LEDs, automatically illuminate the road with a hitherto unsurpassed, precision-controlled distribution of exceptionally bright light – without dazzling other road users. That’s because this grid allows the light distribution of the left and right headlamps to be controlled separately and adapted to the changing situation on the road quickly and dynamically. All functions of the Intelligent Light System in low-beam and high-beam mode can furthermore be depicted purely digitally and without mechanical actuators for the first time, including, as a world first, a purely electronically implemented active light function.

Digital Vehicle Key

This drive authorisation system uses Near Field Communication technology and allows the driver’s smartphone to be used as a vehicle key.

Automatic lane change

When the driver activates the turn indicator for more than two seconds to change lanes, Active Lane Change Assist steers the new E-Class into the adjacent lane. The vehicle will only change lanes automatically if the sensors do not detect any vehicles in the relevant safety zone. It is inconsequential whether the car wants to change to the left lane for overtaking or wants to return to the right-hand lane. A long-range radar system and the stereo camera monitor the area in front of the vehicle, while multi-mode radar sensors permanently check the area to the rear and sides.

Both factor-in the speed of detected vehicles in the vicinity. The driver themselves need only monitor the lane change. For Germany, the Federal Motor Vehicle and Transport Authority has already issued provisional approval for Active Lane Change Assist. The application procedure for EU-wide approval has been started.

The criteria for the operation of Active Lane Change Assist are:

operation of the turn indicator for longer than two seconds

the unoccupied zone detection system allows a lane change within three seconds

Steering Pilot is activated

vehicle travelling on multi-lane, motorway-like roads, detected via the navigation module integrated into COMAND Online

separate adjacent lane, detected via stereo camera

speed between 80 and 180 km/h

The active lane change is aborted by the system when the sensor system detects an obstacle, no longer sees lane markings, the driver countersteers or Steering Pilot is switched off.



Photo Credits | Mercedes-Benz