MB E-class 4matic
The perfect car in your winter wonderland
E-Class: 4MATIC available from autumn 2003
- Four-wheel drive combined for the first time with Sensotronic Brake Control
- Eight-cylinder model equipped as standard with AIRMATIC DC air suspension
From autumn this year, full-time four-wheel drive will become available as an option for the new E-Class too, in combination with high-performance six- and eight-cylinder petrol engines. The 4MATIC models will comprise Saloon and Estate ver-sions of the E 240 4MATIC (130 kW/177 hp), the E 320 4MATIC (165 kW/224 hp) and the E 500 4MATIC (225 kW/306 hp).
In addition to perfectly matched ESP® and 4ETS, the four-wheel drive E-Class models offer a further technical highlight: the electro-hydraulic brake system SBC™. Mercedes-Benz is the first automotive brand in the world to offer this system. The driver's brake commands are transmitted electronically to a powerful microprocessor, which simultaneously processes the ESP® system's sensor-derived data about the current operating status of the vehicle and then calculates the ideal amount of braking pressure to be applied to each wheel. This takes place with split-second speed and, thanks to the high-pressure reservoir, more quickly and precisely than with a conventional brake system.
The system recognizes a quick switch by the driver from the accelerator to the brake pedal as an early indication of an emergency situation and with the aid of the high-pressure reservoir automatically increases the pressure in the brake lines, while at the same time the brake pads are moved up to the brake discs so that they can get a tight grip the moment the driver steps on the brake pedal. The result is shorter stopping distances in an emergency braking situation.
Another feature of SBC™ is variable brake pressure distribution, which offers greater safety when braking on corners, while the system's highly dynamic and precise operation also enhances the performance of Brake Assist, the Electronic Stability Program ESP® and 4MATIC. The braking pulses can thus be even more finely controlled and rapidly applied.
Self-leveling air suspension standard on Estate models
The 4MATIC Estate models of the new E-Class are equipped as standard with a full air suspension system, which replaces the previous hydropneumatic system. This system is load-adaptive and self-leveling, which means that spring travel at the rear axle always remains the same regardless of load, thus ensuring maximum ride comfort at all times.
The full air suspension system AIRMATIC DC, which continuously adapts both the springing and the damping rate at the front and rear axles to the current operating situation, is optionally available for all 4MATIC models.
4MATIC necessitated elaborate modifications to the bodyshell and front axle of the E-Class:
- The front side members and the reinforcements in the pedal floor area have been redesigned.
- The side members have been cut away to make room for the front axle shafts. In the area of the transmission tunnel, some sheet metal segments have been redesigned: the 4MATIC models feature a connecting plate supporting the rear engine cross-member between the transmission tunnel and the main floor and side member reinforcements in the area of the rear connecting point of the integral subframe.
- At the front axle, the anti-roll bar, the steering and the front engine mount have been relocated. The four-link front axle has been replaced on the 4MATIC models with a dual-wishbone system. The integral subframe is made of sheet steel.
The level of the body has been raised by ten millimeters in order to provide more ground clearance on the 4MATIC versions of the new E-Class.
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