The frame-type integral support, to which components from the front axle, steering gear and engine suspension are attached, also helps to absorb the energy produced by a serious frontal collision. The same applies to the two elements at the bottom of the new four-link front suspension, which replaces the rigid double wishbone system used previously. Should the front of the saloon collide with an obstruction on one side only, the specially designed impact elements in front of the two side members assume an important role in the protection concept of the E-Class: they brace the wheel at an early stage, allowing this load path to be used for transmitting impact forces to the side of the body structure too.
The face that 37 percent (compared to 20 percent previously) of all bodyshell panels are made from high-strength steel alloys provides further evidence of the high standards of safety achieved in the new E-Class. The high-strength panelling, which includes a state-of-the-art, dual-phase steel renowned for its high load resistance, succeeds in combining low material thickness with maximum strength (please refer also to the press kit entitled "Everything about the bodywork").
Passenger cell: the "hard core" of occupant protection
The passenger cell is correctly termed by Mercedes engineers as the "safety cage". It is designed for all types of collision and proves to be a structure which is virtually immune to deformation and which keeps the passengers' survival space intact even at high impact speeds, regardless of whether the collision is head-on, from the rear, from the side or whether the vehicle rolls over. The use of high-strength steel alloys and thicker panels plays as important a role here as the installation of additional load-bearing members.