The Mercedes E Class, a symbol of luxury and engineering, underwent redesigns for the 2003 model year. Specifically, models manufactured after December 2002, including the Mercedes E Class 2004, incorporated structural enhancements aimed at improving occupant protection in frontal offset crashes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rigorously evaluated the crashworthiness of these enhanced models to determine their safety performance.
This evaluation centers on a 40 mph frontal offset crash test conducted by the IIHS using a deformable barrier. This test is a critical assessment of how well a vehicle protects its occupants during a common and severe type of collision.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | G |
| Structure and safety cage | G |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Leg/foot, left | G |
| Leg/foot, right | G |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics Dummy movement was reasonably well controlled. During rebound, the dummy’s head moved partway out the open window and hit the B-pillar and window frame. | A |
The Mercedes E Class 2004 achieved an overall rating of “Good” (G), the highest possible rating from IIHS in this test. This rating reflects the vehicle’s strong performance across various critical aspects of crash safety.
The structure and safety cage of the Mercedes E Class 2004 also earned a “Good” rating. This is a fundamental aspect of crashworthiness, indicating that the vehicle’s structure effectively maintained its integrity during the impact, providing a solid protective shell for the occupants.
In terms of driver injury measures, the Mercedes E Class 2004 demonstrated excellent protection. All measured injury risks for the head/neck, chest, and legs/feet were rated as “Good”. This indicates a low probability of significant injuries to these critical body regions in a real-world frontal offset crash of similar severity.
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics were rated as “Acceptable” (A). The dummy movement was generally well-controlled. However, during the rebound phase of the crash, the dummy’s head moved partially out of the open window, contacting the B-pillar and window frame. Despite this contact, head acceleration from this impact was measured as low.
The position of the crash test dummy in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the test is crucial for assessing occupant survival space. In the Mercedes E Class 2004, this position indicated that the driver’s survival space was maintained exceptionally well. This is a testament to the robust structural design of the vehicle.
Greasepaint applied to the dummy’s head revealed the point of contact with the B-pillar and window frame. While contact occurred, the low head acceleration measurements confirm that the risk of significant head injury from this contact was minimal in the Mercedes E Class 2004.
Measurements of forces on the legs and feet were also low. This further supports the conclusion that significant injuries to the lower extremities were unlikely in a similar crash scenario for occupants of the Mercedes E Class 2004.
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Test ID | CEF0308 |
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 3 |
| Left (cm) | 7 |
| Center (cm) | 9 |
| Right (cm) | 4 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 5 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 0 |
| Right (cm) | 0 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | 1 |
| Rearward (cm) | -2 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 1 |
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Test ID | CEF0308 |
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 230 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | 40 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.4 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 24 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.30 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 35 |
| Legs | |
| Femur force – left (kN) | 2.8 |
| Femur force – right (kN) | 2.4 |
| Knee displacement – left (mm) | 0 |
| Knee displacement – right (mm) | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index – left | 0.45 |
| Maximum tibia index – right | 0.71 |
| Tibia axial force – left (kN) | 1.7 |
| Tibia axial force – right (kN) | 3.8 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 48 |
| Right | 60 |
In conclusion, the IIHS crash test results for the Mercedes E Class 2004 are highly positive. The vehicle demonstrated “Good” overall crashworthiness, providing strong occupant protection in a frontal offset crash. These findings underscore the commitment to safety engineering in the Mercedes E Class 2004 and similar models manufactured after December 2002.
