2008 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
large SUV / 4-door SUV
Moderate overlap front: original test
Rating applies to 2006-12 models
Tested vehicle: 2007 Mercedes-Benz R 500 4-door 4wd
The Mercedes-Benz R-Class was introduced in the 2006 model year and restyled for the 2011 model year. Frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Mercedes-Benz as part of frontal crash test verification.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Leg/foot, left | |
| Leg/foot, right | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | VTF0719 |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 6 |
| Left (cm) | 9 |
| Center (cm) | 10 |
| Right (cm) | 8 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 10 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 2 |
| Right (cm) | 0 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | 0 |
| Rearward (cm) | -4 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 2 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | VTF0719 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 350 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | negligible |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.4 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 15 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.40 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 41 |
| Legs | |
| Femur force - left (kN) | 2.4 |
| Femur force - right (kN) | 2.0 |
| Knee displacement - left (mm) | 3 |
| Knee displacement - right (mm) | 9 |
| Maximum tibia index - left | 0.35 |
| Maximum tibia index - right | 0.63 |
| Tibia axial force - left (kN) | 1.7 |
| Tibia axial force - right (kN) | 3.0 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 98 |
| Right | 88 |
Side: original test
Rating applies to 2007-09 models built before October 2008
Tested vehicle: 2008 Mercedes-Benz R 350 4-door 4wd with standard head curtain airbags for all three rows of seats and standard front and 2nd row seat-mounted torso airbags
The Mercedes-Benz R-Class was introduced in the 2006 model year. Beginning with 2007 models, side torso airbags were made standard for second row seat occupants (they were optional in 2006 models).
Two tests of a 2008 R-Class were conducted because in the first test, the airbag warning lamp remained illuminated prior to the test, indicating a possible airbag malfunction. Mercedes diagnostics indicated the fault was confined to the second row right torso airbag, opposite the rear dummy's seating position. Nevertheless, the second test was conducted to determine if the airbag fault warning influenced the results. The second test (without a fault warning) produced very similar injury measures, which confirm the validity of the first test. Therefore, all ratings except for structure are based on averaged results from both tests. The structure rating is based on the two tests of 2008 models plus a later test of a 2009 model.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Driver head protection | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Rear passenger head protection | |
View of the vehicle and barrier just after the second of two crash tests.
View of the vehicle after the second crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbags (second crash test shown).
Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side curtain airbag (first crash test shown).
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CES0805 | CES0816 | CES0905 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -11.0 | -10.0 | -11.5 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |||
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CES0805 | CES0816 |
|---|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 112 | 81 |
| Neck | ||
| Tension (kN) | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Shoulder | ||
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 47 | 47 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Torso | ||
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 51 | 50 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 41 | 43 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 4.30 | 3.97 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.88 | 0.98 |
| Pelvis | ||
| Iliac force (kN) | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.7 | 2.1 |
| Combined force (kN) | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Left femur | ||
| L-M force (kN) | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 150 | 153 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | -47 | -51 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CES0805 | CES0816 |
|---|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 17 | 9 |
| Neck | ||
| Tension (kN) | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Shoulder | ||
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 10 | 8 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| Torso | ||
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 12 | 12 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 11 | 10 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.02 | 1.88 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.09 | 0.11 |
| Pelvis | ||
| Iliac force (kN) | 1.1 | 0.5 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Combined force (kN) | 1.6 | 0.9 |
| Left femur | ||
| L-M force (kN) | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 103 | 72 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | -30 | -39 |
Head restraints & seats
Seat type: Seats without auto-adjust head restraints AHR
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | |
| Seat/head restraint geometry |
| Seat type | Seats without auto-adjust head restraints AHR |
|---|---|
| Geometry | |
| Backset (mm) | 46 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | 28 |
| Seat design parameters | |
| Pass/fail | Pass |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 13.7 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 60 |
| Force rating | 1 |
| Neck forces | |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 114 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 466 |
How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.