2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
midsize luxury car / 4-door sedan
Moderate overlap front: original test
Tested vehicle: 2008 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4-door
Rating applies to 2008-09 models
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class was redesigned for the 2008 model year. Two moderate overlap frontal tests of the C-Class were conducted, one by the Institute and the other by Mercedes-Benz. The overall rating of Good is based on review of both tests, which independently result in overall ratings of Good. The ratings, photos, and videos from the Institute’s test are shown.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | |
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Leg/foot, left | |
| Leg/foot, right | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | |
Technical measurements for this test
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement | |
|---|---|---|
| Test ID | VTF0716 | CEF0804 |
| Footwell intrusion | ||
| Footrest (cm) | 0 | 1 |
| Left (cm) | 1 | 2 |
| Center (cm) | 1 | 2 |
| Right (cm) | 1 | 2 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 1 | 2 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | ||
| Left (cm) | 0 | 0 |
| Right (cm) | 0 | 0 |
| Steering column movement | ||
| Upward (cm) | -3 | -3 |
| Rearward (cm) | -4 | -8 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 0 | 0 |
Driver injury measures
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement | |
|---|---|---|
| Test ID | VTF0716 | CEF0804 |
| Head | ||
| HIC-15 | 208 | 166 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | 47 | 32 |
| Neck | ||
| Tension (kN) | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 15 | 6 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.38 | 0.27 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 33 | 30 |
| Legs | ||
| Femur force - left (kN) | 3.8 | 3.3 |
| Femur force - right (kN) | 3.3 | 1.7 |
| Knee displacement - left (mm) | 6 | 14 |
| Knee displacement - right (mm) | 11 | 10 |
| Maximum tibia index - left | 0.35 | 0.62 |
| Maximum tibia index - right | 0.81 | 0.70 |
| Tibia axial force - left (kN) | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| Tibia axial force - right (kN) | 3.6 | 2.5 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | ||
| Left | 73 | 77 |
| Right | 86 | 47 |
Roof strength
Tested vehicle: 2010 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4-door
Rating applies to 2008-14 models
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Curb weight | 3,510 lbs |
| Peak force | 18,826 lbs |
| Strength-to-weight ratio | 5.36 |
Head restraints & seats
Seat type: Power leather seats AHR
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | |
| Seat/head restraint geometry |
Technical measurements for this test
| Seat type | Power leather seats AHR |
|---|---|
| Geometry | |
| Backset (mm) | 40 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | 36 |
| Seat design parameters | |
| Pass/fail | Pass |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 11.7 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 52 |
| Force rating | 1 |
| Neck forces | |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 34 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 453 |
About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.