Presenting the 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class to the Philippine motoring press was Jürgen Banken, project head for the development of the substantially revised model. motioncars.com was able to chat with Mr. Banken on the numerous improvements made on the car, what he thinks of copycats, and which E-Class is his personal favorite.

motioncars.com: Can you describe the design philosophy of the E-Class?

Jürgen Banken: The E-Class is a car for successful people. These are confident customers who do not need to impress other people, or call undue attention to themselves. The E-Class has always been known as a superb business limousine. Our challenge was to make it more dynamic and sportier, without detracting from the qualities that make it a recognized leader.

The biggest advance we have made on this model is in safety. Technology such as Pre-safe, Neck-Pro, Adaptive Brake, and Intelligent Light System are exclusive to this class, and were adopted from higher models such as the S-Class. We are proud to say that the E-Class offers a big advance in both active and passive safety technology. The safety level of this car is the highest in its class.

On the outside, the visible changes are the new grille, which has a pronounced V-shape, the chrome louvers on the headlamps, and the outside mirrors.

motioncars: What about run-flat tires? Did you consider equipping the new car with this technology?

JB: To be honest, I am not a fan of run-flat tires. Our tests show that they result in poor comfort and are not yet up to the standard expected of the E-Class. Most of our customers are not looking for this feature. Perhaps they are also aware of the higher replacement cost for these specialized tires. One day perhaps the technology will allow us to achieve the comfort and economy that we require. For now, we have equipped the E-Class with a tire pressure monitor as standard, and this will warn of a sudden or gradual loss of tire pressure.

motioncars: Do you think that all the electronic aids present on cars somehow detract from the fun of driving?

JB: (Smiling) That depends if having fun includes going off the road. It is not a bad thing if the electronics allow the driver to have more control of every situation. Our electronics can also allow a driver to push to the limit, perhaps if needed in an emergency, and still stay as safe as possible.

Our cars are designed to work on normal roads and not on a track.  (motioncars recalls our drive in torrential-rain on the Batangas Racing Circuit with an E 240 and it’s our turn to smile.) But even on our sportier models, the various safety devices will help keep the driver out of trouble.

motioncars: Have you personally experienced Pre-safe? The system sounds potentially unnerving.

JB: We have tried Pre-safe on the track. The system activates without disturbing the concentration of the driver. In a potential accident situation, you are concentrating on avoiding the accident, and will not notice the system activating. It prepares the occupants for an accident by primarily tensioning the seatbelt, but it is not in an uncomfortable way. This is unlike the tensioning of the seatbelt when the airbag is deployed; this has to be more aggressive. But the Pre-Safe system does not make you

An accident does not happen in an instant. There are behaviors that indicate an accident might take place, such as heavy braking and skidding. Pre-safe gets its signals from the ESP system and takes the needed precautions. Pre-Safe is completely reversible, and its activation does not require you to make a trip to the dealer.

motioncars: With Pre-safe installed, does this affect how the airbags are deployed in an accident?

JB: The airbags are not changed.

motioncars: How did it feel to head such an important project?

JB: It was an impressive task for me and my team. It was the feeling I could imagine from conducting a large orchestra, where everybody is a dedicated professional. We had the challenge of making a good thing even better. Fortunately a lot of new technology had become available, and we wanted to introduce them to benefit the safety and comfort of our customers.

next page >