The first car to feature a crumple zone was a Mercedes. It was Mercedes, too, who pioneered the safety passenger cell, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®). Today, safety technologies of this kind have become standard. There can surely be no better accolade for Mercedes-Benz safety research. And there have been plenty of accolades:

In the Euro NCAP crash tests, the E-Class achieved the top five-star rating whilst the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) made the E-Class its "Best Pick" for offering the highest standard of occupant safety of all passenger cars registered in the US.