- Night View Assist proves popular
- Over 30 per cent of S-Class customers order this safety innovation
introduced by Mercedes-Benz
- DISTRONIC PLUS set to increase Mercedes-Benz safety leadership
Melbourne – Since the release of the all new S-Class in February, 2006 more
than thirty per cent of S-Class buyers have optioned the ground breaking Night
View Assist onto their vehicles.
“Mercedes-Benz was the first manufacturer to go to market with a night vision
system in Australia and the high take up rate indicates that S-Class customers
not only recognise but embrace the superior safety technology that is a hallmark
of Mercedes-Benz vehicles,” said Horst von Sanden, managing director for
Mercedes Car Group in Australia.
“We are very proud to have introduced this innovative and potentially life
saving technology first into the Australian market,” he said.
Mercedes-Benz has for many years been committed to making night time driving
safer, with groundbreaking product developments such as active Bi-Xenon
headlamps and the cornering light function for example. Night View Assist is a
further milestone in this field of car safety technology.
In 1998 a long-held dream for many drivers was fulfilled in the S-Class with
the DISTRONIC proximity control system: an electronic co-pilot which keeps the
car at a set speed and at a set distance from the vehicle ahead- for more
convenience and less stress. Mercedes-Benz was the world’s first automobile
manufacturer to offer its customers such a system.
Mercedes-Benz has developed this highly efficient assistance system even
further for the new S-Class, called DISTRONIC PLUS, by combining the previous
DISTRONIC radar (77 GHz) with a newly developed close range radar (24 GHz).
DISTRONIC PLUS monitors the traffic to allow the vehicle to maintain the
distance set by the driver. DISTRONIC PLUS utilises two on board radar systems
and the vehicles braking system to act together when a collision is likely. This
means that when the traffic tails back, DISTRONIC PLUS will automatically brake
the S-Class to a standstill and will accelerate back to the set speed as soon as
the traffic situation allows.
With DISTRONIC PLUS, Mercedes-Benz engineers have been able to extend the
range from 0.2 to 150 metres. The control unit analyses the information received
from both radar systems and calculates the engine, automatic transmission and
braking parameters required for proximity control.
“The imminent introduction of DISTRONIC PLUS later this year on S-Class,
reflects our long standing commitment to vehicle safety and innovation,” said
von Sanden.
“This is supported by the fact that Mercedes-Benz makes new safety technology
available, therefore allowing other manufacturers to introduce potentially life
saving safety features sooner rather than later,” he said.
The speed range that DISTRONIC PLUS operates is from 0 – 200km/h. As more
proximity control is often required at lower speeds. i.e. in stop-and-go traffic
with frequent starting and braking, the acceleration and deceleration values of
the system reconfigure. If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that heavier braking is
required, a warning light appears in the instrument cluster. This is accompanied
by an audible warning which tells the driver to watch the traffic situation and
apply the brakes further if necessary.
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