The facelifted Mercedes-Benz E-Class has managed to pass an obstacle avoidance course faster than its luxury-laden relative, the W223 S-Class.
Piloting the coupe, the driver has successfully carried out the maneuver on his first try at 75 km/h (46.6 miles per hour). At higher accelerations, the E-Class stayed responsive and felt safe, but proved unable to return to the lane delineated by the traffic cones fast enough without hitting any.
The test is considered a success when a car manages to pass it at 77 km/h (47.9 mph) or faster, but full-size cars usually fall short of that number. For instance, the Mercedes S-Class is a bit less agile still at 74 km/h (46 mph), and the Lexus LS trails the list with 71 km/h (441. mph). Then again, the test crew pointed out that both models felt very stable and predictable on the road when swerving from a simulated obstacle.