The much-anticipated next-generation S-Class sedan – first details of which are announced on Monday – will be the first Merecdes to feature a new version of Pre-Safe, a new safety system that can reduce rear collisions by 75%.

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This next evolution of Mercedes-Benz accident avoidance uses two complementary radar frequencies to detect vehicles up ahead, warn of a likely impact and prime the braking system for faster response when the driver brakes the car.


In addition, the front seat belts are tightened just before a possible impact, and seats move to positions that provide better protection — two measures that have been part of the current S-class system since its debut in 2002.


The latest version also closes the side windows to provide better support for the curtain air bags, and can inflate special seat cushions that provide greater lateral support for occupants and help the side air bags provide even greater protection.


The new system uses an enhanced version of the Mercedes-Benz Brake Assist system that can not only supply full-power braking assist in emergencies as soon as the driver applies the brake pedal, but also continuously measures the distance to the vehicle ahead and adjusts brake pressure if the driver doesn’t brake hard enough. In extensive tests using 300 drivers, the system reduced rear collisions in heavy city traffic by 75%.

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The latest system uses two very different radar beams to scan traffic in front of the car. Newly developed short-range radar with a frequency of 24 gigahertz sweeps the first 33 yards in a fan-shaped 80-degree pattern, working in tandem with a narrower nine-degree beam of longer-range 77-gigahertz radar (already used for the car’s optional Distronic cruise control feature). The two radar frequencies complement each other to provide a full range of more than 160 yards – more than one and a half football fields. The system can identify when the car is gaining too quickly on vehicles ahead to intervene with the Distronic system, and it decides whether to sound a warning, ready Brake Assist and trigger other measures.


Toyota has offered a similar system using radar and a camera on domestic market Crown Majesta models in Japan. At a technology presentation in Germany this week, the company said its system (demonstrated to journalists using specially imported cars) was superior to Mercedes’ due to its use of radar.


Looks like the gap is closing.