n the E-Class, a wealth of safety systems work in step to help prevent accidents. However, should the worst come to the worst, occupant safety measures come into play, providing protection for both the occupants and other road users. Occupant protection comes in the form of a high-strength safety passenger cell, adaptive front airbags which are triggered in two stages in line with the severity of the impact, and sidebags in front and windowbags.

Then there are the NECK-PRO crash-responsive head restraints for the driver and front passenger: in the event of a rear-end collision above a certain severity, pre-loaded springs push the head restraints by around 40 mm forwards and 30 mm upwards at lightning speed to support the heads of the front occupants at an earlier stage. This can reduce the risk of whiplash injuries considerably.

Other road users are protected by the smooth-lined design of the bodywork and the bumpers which "give" in a controlled manner upon impact.