Presseinformationen 24. Juni 2004

Nur digital. Further improvements made to the body structure and restraint systems. The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class boasts an intelligent package of safety features offering comprehensive occupant safety: Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz has further developed the intelligent sandwich concept for the new A-Class due to come onto the market this autumn and made improvements to details. This construction allows the A-Class to offer its passengers the occupant safety you would expect of a Mercedes, despite its compact exterior dimensions. The development programme for the new A-Class included car-to-car impact tests with larger saloons. Mercedes-Benz is one of only a small number of car makers to regularly conduct this type of test, which enables the brand to adapt models of varying sizes as effectively as possible to each other’s characteristics. The results of these sophisticated vehicle-to-vehicle crash tests demonstrate that passengers inside the A-Class enjoy effective impact protection.

The patented safety concept allows the engine and transmission to slide downwards in the event of a serious head-on impact, rather than penetrating the interior. And the sandwich concept also has benefits in side collisions, with the passengers sitting higher than they would do in a conventional passenger car.

Other features on board the new A-Class which help to deliver a comprehensive level of occupant safety are adaptive front airbags, which are deployed in two stages according to the severity of the impact, and newly developed head/thorax bags. These protect the driver and front passenger’s head and chest area in the event of a side collision.