The 2020 Mercedes-benz C-class stands as a beacon of luxury and performance in the compact sedan segment. For discerning buyers, safety is paramount, and understanding the safety ratings of a vehicle is a crucial part of the decision-making process. This article delves into the safety performance of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, drawing upon rigorous testing data to provide a comprehensive overview for potential owners and automotive enthusiasts alike.
IIHS Crash Test Ratings Overview for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a leading authority in vehicle safety testing in the United States. Their evaluations are highly regarded for their thoroughness and objectivity, providing consumers with valuable insights into how vehicles perform in various crash scenarios. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, redesigned in 2015, has undergone extensive testing by the IIHS. It’s important to note that these ratings often apply to models within a range, and in this case, the data frequently covers the 2015-2021 model years.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Driver-Side
The small overlap front crash test simulates a collision where only a small portion of the vehicle’s front end (25%) impacts a barrier. This is a particularly challenging test as it bypasses the main structural elements designed to absorb crash energy.
Driver-Side Performance
The 2016 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4-door was specifically tested in the driver-side small overlap front test. The results show a mixed performance.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Head/neck | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Chest | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Hip/thigh | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Lower leg/foot | Good |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | Acceptable |
The C-Class earned “Good” ratings in structural integrity and for injury measures across head/neck, chest, hip/thigh, and lower leg/foot for the driver. This signifies robust protection in these areas. However, the “Acceptable” rating for “Driver restraints and dummy kinematics” is a point to note. The test report indicated that while the dummy’s head contacted the frontal airbag, it rolled to the left due to excessive forward movement allowed by the seat belt. Despite this, the side curtain airbag deployed effectively, offering head protection from side structure impacts.
Action shot during the small overlap frontal crash test, highlighting structural deformation and airbag deployment in the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Post-crash analysis revealed that the driver’s survival space was well-maintained, indicating a strong safety cage. Measurements of occupant compartment intrusion were within acceptable limits, further supporting the structural integrity.
Dummy position post-crash, demonstrating the maintained survival space for the driver within the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
However, the dummy’s head movement towards the gap between frontal and side curtain airbags raises a minor concern, although the side curtain airbag did deploy.
Close-up of dummy head movement, illustrating airbag interaction during the small overlap test for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Overall, despite the “Acceptable” rating in restraints, the driver’s space remained intact, and the risk of leg and foot injuries was low.
Footwell integrity after the crash, suggesting low risk of leg and foot injuries for the driver in the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Passenger-Side
The passenger-side small overlap test evaluates how well the vehicle protects the front passenger in a similar crash scenario.
Passenger-Side Performance
Testing of the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4-door, conducted by Mercedes-Benz and assessed by IIHS, yielded “Good” ratings across the board for the passenger-side small overlap test.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | Good |
| Structure and safety cage | Good |
| Passenger injury measures – Head/neck | Good |
| Passenger injury measures – Chest | Good |
| Passenger injury measures – Hip/thigh | Good |
| Passenger injury measures – Lower leg/foot | Good |
| Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Head/neck | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Chest | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Hip/thigh | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Lower leg/foot | Good |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | Good |
This “Good” rating encompasses structural performance, passenger injury measures, passenger restraints, and even driver injury measures in a passenger-side impact. This indicates excellent protection for both front occupants in this challenging crash scenario for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class models from 2019-2021.
Moderate Overlap Front Crash Test
In the moderate overlap front test, 40% of the vehicle’s front width impacts a deformable barrier at 40 mph. This test is representative of a common type of frontal collision.
Moderate Overlap Performance
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4-door 4wd received a “Good” rating in the moderate overlap front test.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | Good |
| Structure and safety cage | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Head/neck | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Chest | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Leg/foot, left | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Leg/foot, right | Good |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | Good |
The C-Class demonstrated “Good” performance across all measured categories, including structural integrity and driver injury measures for head/neck, chest, and legs/feet. This reinforces the strong frontal crash protection offered by the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Side Impact Crash Test
The side impact test simulates a vehicle being struck by another vehicle in a typical intersection collision.
Side Impact Performance
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz C 400 4-door 4wd, equipped with standard side and curtain airbags, earned a “Good” rating in the side impact test.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | Good |
| Structure and safety cage | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Head/neck | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Torso | Good |
| Driver injury measures – Pelvis/leg | Good |
| Driver head protection | Good |
| Rear passenger injury measures – Head/neck | Good |
| Rear passenger injury measures – Torso | Good |
| Rear passenger injury measures – Pelvis/leg | Good |
| Rear passenger head protection | Good |
The “Good” rating extends to all aspects of side impact protection for both driver and rear passengers. This includes structural performance, injury measures for head/neck, torso, and pelvis/leg, and head protection. This comprehensive “Good” rating highlights the excellent side impact safety of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Roof Strength Test
The roof strength test assesses the roof’s ability to withstand forces in a rollover crash.
Roof Strength Performance
The 2016 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4-door achieved a “Good” rating in roof strength.
| Overall evaluation | Rating |
|---|---|
| Strength-to-weight ratio | 7.00 |
With a strength-to-weight ratio of 7.00, significantly exceeding the minimum requirement, the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class demonstrates robust roof strength, contributing to occupant protection in rollover scenarios.
Head Restraints & Seats
Evaluations of head restraints and seats assess their ability to protect against neck injuries in rear-end collisions.
Head Restraints & Seats Performance
The power leather seats in the 2016 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4-door received a “Good” overall rating.
| Overall evaluation | Rating |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | Good |
| Seat/head restraint geometry | Good |
Both dynamic performance and seat/head restraint geometry were rated as “Good”, indicating effective protection against whiplash and related neck injuries in rear impacts for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Headlight Ratings
Headlight performance is crucial for nighttime driving safety. IIHS tests headlights for visibility and glare. The 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class has multiple headlight options, each with different ratings.
Headlight Performance Variations
Three headlight variations were tested on the C-Class, resulting in different ratings:
- C300 trim with Adaptive High Beam Assist package: “Good” rating. These LED reflector headlights with curve-adaptive functionality and high-beam assist offer optimal visibility with controlled glare.
- C300 trim (standard): “Acceptable” rating. These LED reflector headlights, while still providing good straightaway visibility, have limitations on curves and produce some glare.
- C300 trim with Exterior Lighting package: “Acceptable” rating. These LED projector headlights with curve-adaptive functionality and high-beam assist offer good visibility on straightaways and most curves, but still exhibit some glare.
The “Good” rated headlights with Adaptive High Beam Assist package are clearly the superior choice for maximizing nighttime driving safety in the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle
Front crash prevention systems are evaluated for their ability to avoid or mitigate collisions with other vehicles.
Vehicle-to-Vehicle Front Crash Prevention
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class offers two front crash prevention systems:
- Optional Active Brake Assist with Cross-Traffic Function (Driver Assistance Package): “Superior” rating. This system successfully avoided collisions in both 12 mph and 25 mph tests and meets forward collision warning requirements.
- Standard Active Brake Assist: “Superior” rating. This standard system also avoided collisions in both tests and meets forward collision warning criteria.
Both systems demonstrate “Superior” performance in vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention, making the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class a leader in this safety technology.
Front Crash Prevention: Pedestrian (Day)
Pedestrian front crash prevention systems are designed to detect and react to pedestrians in the vehicle’s path.
Pedestrian Front Crash Prevention
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class offers two pedestrian front crash prevention systems with varying degrees of effectiveness:
- Optional Active Brake Assist with Cross-Traffic Function (Driver Assistance Package): “Superior” rating. This system avoided collisions with crossing child and adult scenarios at both 12 mph and 25 mph. It also significantly reduced speed in the parallel adult scenario.
- Standard Active Brake Assist: “Basic” rating. This system provided speed reduction in crossing child and adult scenarios but failed to slow in the parallel adult scenario.
The optional “Superior” rated system provides significantly better pedestrian protection compared to the “Basic” standard system in the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH)
The LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) is evaluated for its ease of use when installing child safety seats.
LATCH System Performance
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class LATCH system received a “Good” rating.
| Overall evaluation | Rating |
|---|---|
| Vehicle trim | C 300 |
| Seat type | leather |
The C-Class has two rear seating positions with complete LATCH hardware and an additional position with a tether anchor. The system is noted for being easy to use with accessible and maneuverable anchors, making child seat installation straightforward in the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Conclusion
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class demonstrates a strong commitment to safety, achieving predominantly “Good” and “Superior” ratings in IIHS crash tests and safety evaluations. While the driver-side small overlap test and some headlight variations received “Acceptable” ratings, the overall safety performance is commendable. Particularly noteworthy are the “Superior” front crash prevention systems and the “Good” ratings in moderate overlap, side impact, roof strength, head restraints, and LATCH system. For buyers prioritizing safety in a luxury sedan, the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a compelling option, especially when equipped with the optional Driver Assistance Package and Adaptive High Beam Assist headlights. Understanding these safety ratings provides valuable insight for making an informed decision when choosing a vehicle that prioritizes occupant protection.
