As you’d expect, the new Mercedes S-Class comes with virtually every safety feature that Mercedes-Benz currently offers. The list includes automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, active steering assist, lane-keep assist, lane-change assist, traffic sign recognition, front and rear cross-traffic alert, and active blind-spot monitoring.
The brand-new for 2021 is hands-off recognition, which means you don’t need to move the steering wheel for the car to know you have control – simply put your hands on it. Also new for 2021 is the addition of standard Pre-Safe Impulse Control.
A carryover from SUVs like the GLE and GLS and a facet of the E-Active Body Control adaptive suspension (essentially active anti-roll bars that draw on the 48-volt system to eliminate body roll), Pre-Safe Impulse Control can detect an oncoming vehicle from either side and raise the S-Class slightly to lessen the brunt of a potential collision.
The S-Class also offers a special blind-spot warning for drivers exiting their vehicles, and is the first car to offer rear-seat airbags to protect second-row passengers from a head-on collision, as well as a special blind-spot warning for drivers exiting their vehicles. Also integrated into those active safety features are the new ambient lighting fixtures, which are able to reinforce warnings visually.
Another carryover to the new S-Class is the traditional PIN entry option on the driver’s side door. But joining it for 2021 are three new identification measures to make sure your S-Class is safer than ever: fingerprint (located inside, next to the hazard light button), face, and voice recognition. And all three of those options can reportedly also be used for in-car purchases.
We all hope cars will be safer and safer, leading to lessening collisions.