Imagine this: You’re driving down the road in your brand new Mercedes-Benz, when all of the sudden a dog runs out in front of your car. You immediately panic: there’s not enough time to slow down and you’re guaranteed to hit man’s best friend, right? Think again.

This just in from Autospies:

“Mercedes-Benz is working on a new safety system than can automatically steer around pedestrians to avoid accidents.

Ulrich Mellinghoff, head of safety development at Mercedes, says it’s likely to appear within the next five years.

Talking to What Car? at the Detroit Motor Show, Mellinghoff told us that in 80% of accidents with people, just 20% of a car’s frontal area hits the pedestrian.

This means it would take only 40-50cm of movement for a Mercedes to automatically swerve around a pedestrian that had been detected by the car.”

We know this new swerve technology applies to accidents involving pedestrians, but who says man’s best friend can’t be included in that list? Either way, it’s exciting for us to see the considerations Mercedes-benz is taking when thinking about safety, not just for cars and their drivers, but others on the road, as well. This is just further proof that Mercedes-Benz is always ahead of the curve.

What do you guys think of this new swerve technology?

We’re all about green technology on the blog today! Check out this awesome article below about the new S-class plug-in hybrid that Mercedes-Benz is researching and developing.

The next generation of Mercedes-Benz S-class models will include plug-in hybrid, and the automaker intends to extend the fuel-saving technology across the rest of its range, the company’s head of research and development said today.

“It makes a lot of sense to bundle the high-price tech option to the sort of customers willing to pay for this sort of thing,” Thomas Weber said.

The announcement comes four months after Mercedes-Benz unveiled a Vision S500 plug-in hybrid concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show and three months after Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche told reporters that hybrids and battery-electric cars will be long-term interim technologies until hydrogen fuel cell cars and hydrogen fueling technology are ready for market.

The company hasn’t publicly disclosed performance information pertaining to the plug-in hybrid, but sources have told us that it will feature a 60-horsepower  electric motor mated to a gasoline-fed V6 engine. The twin power sources can reportedly propel the large Benz to 60 miles per hour in less than 5.5 seconds.

The motor will reportedly receive its electricity from a state-of-the-art  lithium-ion battery that has a storage capacity of more than 10 kilowatt hours — enough to enable the car to go about 19 miles on electrons only before an onboard gas-powered engine-generator kicks in to feed juice to the battery.

Weber ruled out a purely electric S-class model, citing concerns over the vehicle’s range between charges.

As previously reported, other versions of the next S-class will be fitted with next-gen six- and eight-cylinder gasoline engines featuring fuel-efficient  direct injection, stop-start technology, and turbochargers or electric motors.

Source: (Edmunds)

The following post comes courtesy of Automobile Magazine.

Snow. Ice. Frigid temperatures. January in Detroit can hardly be described as a climate conducive to convertibles. Still, in order to help underline the year-round usability of the car, Mercedes-Benz will unveil its new 2011 E-class Cabriolet at the 2010 North American International Auto Show.

As the fourth body style in the revised E-class range, the Cabriolet — along with the 2010 E-class Coupe — effectively replaces the CLK. Styling up front is carried over from its other E-class siblings, but sheetmetal aft of the A-pillars is largely cribbed from the two-door model. Indeed, when the top is up, the E-class Cabriolet does a good job of emulating the Coupe’s racy roofline.

Unlike the convertible tops used on the SL and SLK roadsters, the E-class Cabriolet – like the CLK before it — makes use of a traditional soft top instead. Mercedes-Benz claims the top, at 0.9 inches thick, is extensively insulated to help keep the cabin warm in wintry months, and to prevent noise. We’re told it’s entirely possible to have a hands-free cell phone conversation with the top up at speeds “in excess” of 125 mph — but we wouldn’t recommend such a task.

A pair of technologies also helps keep passengers warm and comfortable during open-air driving. Airscarf, already offered on the SL and SLK roadsters, directs warm air towards passengers’ neck and shoulders. AirCap – a diffuser deployed above the windshield to direct airflow out of the faces of rear seat passengers – is a new innovation and, for the time being, is exclusive to the E-class.

Like the Coupe, the E-class Cabriolet is available in E350 and E550 forms, with a 268-hp 3.5-liter V-6 or a 382-hp, 5.5-liter V-8, respectively. Look for both models to arrive at dealers stateside in the spring of 2011.

Source: www.inautonews.com

Mercedes-Benz will be presenting the first “three-litre car” in the premium class — the Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID — at the 63rd IAA in Frankfurt, Germany.

Click the arrow below to view video.

The technology vehicle will display the future of Mercedes-Benz’ modular set of hybrid systems. The Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID can drive for up to 30 kilometres solely on electricity and therefore without producing any local emissions. The efficient drive system combined with the CO2 bonus for the battery-electric driving mode enables the vehicle to achieve a certified consumption of only 3.2 litres of petrol per 100 kilometers.

With CO2 emissions of only 74 grams per kilometre in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle), the experimental vehicle developed in Sindelfingen demonstrates the long-term viability of future S Class generations. The outstanding values are made possible by the combination of a plug-in hybrid with the efficiency-boosting BlueEFFICIENCY measures. At the same time, the Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID has all of the strengths that are typical of the S Class: top comfort, outstanding safety and masterful performance. The drive system in the concept car consists of three main components: a powerful V6 petrol engine with a next-generation direct injection system, a 44 kW/60 hp hybrid module and a lithium-ion battery with more than 10 kWh of storage capacity that can be recharged at charging stations. The Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds.

“The Vision 500 Plug-in HYBRID is a new milestone on our path toward zero-emission mobility,” says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “It is a luxurious and safe S Class that offers superior driving performance while at the same time consuming less fuel than current compacts. All of this shows that our top models will also be able to combine automotive fascination with responsibility for the environment.”

Click here to view the  full article.

Mercedes-Benz is planning to release it’s first hybrid vehicle in the US this fall. The S400 BlueHYBRID will be a 2010 model and is identical to the S550 with the only difference being that it will average about 30 miles to each gallon. The S400 is labeled as a ‘mild hybrid’ that restarts the engine after it’s switched off when stopped, as well as adding some degree of electric boost.

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