Tests show your heart beats five beats per minute lower in a Mercedes

The occupants see the benefits of these larger dimensions in terms of greater spaciousness and comfort. Shoulder room and elbow room have been increased by up to 39 millimetres, while headroom has increased by up to 5 millimetres. Effective legroom, an important requirement for seating comfort, has increased by five millimetres for the driver and front passenger and by 24 millimetres for rear-seat passengers. In the long-wheelbase version, the increase for the rear-seat passengers is a full 52 millimetres.

Assistance systems for stop-and-go traffic, nighttime driving and parking

Innovative assistance systems now making their world debut in the S-Class provide additional stress relief for the driver, along with enhanced safety and convenience. The DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control system now operates throughout the speed range from 0 to 200 km/h. In stop-and-go traffic, DISTRONIC PLUS maintains a safe following distance from the traffic in front, automatically braking the S-Class to a standstill when necessary and accelerating back to the desired speed when the traffic starts moving again. In this way the system promotes stress-free driving and significantly enhances physiological safety.

Also new is the radar-based Park Assist system, which provides assistance during reverse parking and manoeuvring. This system not only allows the driver to park with centimetre precision, it also warns of obstacles as far as eleven metres away. In the dark, an innovative night view assist system provides enhanced active safety. It extends the driver's range of vision significantly, allowing him to spot pedestrians, cyclists, parked cars and other obstacles much sooner than would otherwise be the case.

Scientific monitoring of physiological safety began more than twenty years ago

Physiological safety is an integral part of the integrated Mercedes safety philosophy PRO-SAFE. A key component of active safety, it focuses on the medical and psychological aspects of driving and plays an important part in preventing accidents.

Mercedes-Benz has been carrying out driver-monitoring tests in this field, in association with the DaimlerChrysler Research department, since the early nineteen-eighties. No other brand in the automotive industry has devoted as much attention to this field of development as Mercedes-Benz. The studies allow in-vehicle systems in Mercedes models to be objectively evaluated, while at the same time potentially highlighting areas where assistance systems of the future could further improve cooperation between driver and vehicle and help to conserve the driver's physical and mental energies.

The new S-Class has profited from the researchers' and developers' extensive experience in the field of physiological safety. In this area too, it fulfils its role as a pacemaker in the automotive industry.