OREANDA-NEWS. The new generation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon has achieved the best possible rating of five stars in the demanding Euro NCAP assessment scheme and as such is continuing the model's success story. (C-Class: Fuel consumption, combined cycle: 5.8 - 4.0 l/ 100 km; CO2 emissions, combined: 135 - 103 g/km).

The new C-Class Saloon from Mercedes-Benz passed the crash tests forming part of the NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) rating procedure - which in 2014 has been extended and also made stricter compared with the previous year - with flying colours. It was therefore awarded the best possible rating of five stars for occupant safety, child safety, pedestrian protection and assistance systems.

Making top-class safety available to everyone is the declared aim of Mercedes-Benz. That is why as part of Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive the new C-Class also incorporates many of the new assistance systems, and assistance systems with a host of enhanced functions, which have celebrated their world premiere in the S-Class and E-Class. These include COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS which enables autonomous braking in response to moving and stationary vehicles and has been introduced in the C-Class as standard for the first time.

The C-Class protects passengers with up to nine airbags. Other safety highlights include belt tensioners and belt force limiters, also on the rear seats, and the active bonnet for pedestrian protection. Even protection of the smallest passengers is taken into account too. Automatic front-passenger airbag deactivation, introduced first by Mercedes-Benz, uses a pressure sensor in the seat cushion to detect whether an infant or child seat has been placed on the front-passenger seat and automatically deactivates the front-passenger airbag.

Contrary to other systems that require the airbag to be deactivated with a key, this system prevents incorrect operation. As no special transponder is required, the system works with all rear-facing child restraint systems.

In addition, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class received two "Euro NCAP Advanced" awards for safety innovations: the ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection system (standard equipment) and also the anticipatory occupant protection system PRE-SAFE(r) (optional equipment).