2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
midsize luxury car / 4-door sedan
Moderate overlap front: original test
Rating applies to 2008-09 models
Tested vehicle: 2008 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4-door
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.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Leg/foot, left | |
| Leg/foot, right | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Action shot taken during the Institute's moderate overlap frontal crash test.
The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well (Institute test car shown).
Dummy movement was well controlled in both tests. During rebound, the dummy's head hit the roof rail, as indicated by smeared greasepaint in the Institute's test.
Forces on the left knee were high enough to indicate the possibility of injury in the Institute's test (shown). In Mercedes' test, forces on the right lower leg were just above the threshold indicating the possibility of injuries.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| 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
| 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 |
Side: original test
Rating applies to 2009-14 models
Tested vehicle: 2009 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso/pelvis airbags
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class was redesigned for the 2008 model year. Beginning with 2009 models, the front-seat mounted side torso airbags were modified to include an additional chamber to protect the pelvis in side-impact crashes.
| 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 crash test.
View of the vehicle after the 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.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CES0842 |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -20.5 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CES0842 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 165 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.8 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.4 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 44 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.6 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 35 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 30 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.97 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.45 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 2.0 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 2.2 |
| Combined force (kN) | 3.8 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.1 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 74 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | 40 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CES0842 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 155 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.5 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.5 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 15 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 0.9 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 17 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 13 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.17 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.19 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 1.6 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.0 |
| Combined force (kN) | 2.6 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.6 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 89 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | -48 |
Roof strength
Rating applies to 2008-14 models
Tested vehicle: 2010 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4-door
| 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 |
| 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.