Mercedes will upgrade the safety of its E-class and S-class ranges next year when a new ranges next year when a new E class goes on sale. Safety upgrades to both ranges cover brakes, lights, belts, airbags and driver assistance systems. An in car camera and sensors build up a profile of the driver over about 20 minutes and can recognise any major variation in behaviour. Drivers will also be warned by a vibration through the wheel if they change lanes unintentionally, while rear- mounted radar sensors cover any blind spots when overtaking and flash up a red triangle in the door mirrors.
Mercedes is also introducing speed limit recognition and warning, plus automatic switching between the headlights main and dipped beams. The infrared night vision camera system pioneered in the S-class will be available on the new E-class and now highlights pedestrians on the in-dash screen. Mercedes claims it will match or better the BMW 5 series Efficient Dynamics models for fuel economy and CO2 savings.