Mercedes-Benz has staged a crash test involving two moving CLA models to demonstrate how its latest vehicles respond to a severe intersection-style collision. The test brought a gasoline-powered CLA Shooting Brake into the side of an all-electric CLA sedan, recreating a T-bone crash with both vehicles traveling at 56 km/h.

Traditional side-impact testing typically uses a heavy movable barrier or crash cart to represent another vehicle. Mercedes-Benz’s test instead used two actual vehicles, allowing the company to examine the performance of both the striking car and the vehicle hit from the side. The automaker described the exercise as apparently the first of its kind to involve two moving vehicles.

How the two CLAs responded

As the Shooting Brake struck the sedan, its front crumple zone absorbed a substantial portion of the impact. The front and side airbags deployed inside the cabin as the collision occurred.

The sedan experienced the impact through its doors, while its side glass shattered. Its restraint system also activated, including airbags positioned between the front occupants.

Mercedes-Benz said the eight crash-test dummies used in the demonstration recorded readings below biomechanical limits. Those results indicated a low risk of serious or life-threatening injuries in the test.

Safety systems for the electric and gasoline models

The crash also demonstrated how the two powertrains respond after a major impact. Mercedes-Benz said the electric CLA’s high-voltage battery automatically shut down and disconnected from the drivetrain. The Shooting Brake’s fuel system likewise shut down to help prevent a fire.

The vehicles’ pop-out door handles extended shortly after the collision, and the side windows opened. The handles are fitted to the new CLA despite the source noting that similar designs have been outlawed in China and could eventually face a ban in Europe.

Beyond the individual crash-protection results, the test provided a demonstration of what can happen when an internal-combustion vehicle and an electric vehicle collide. Mercedes-Benz has not indicated that the test represents every possible crash scenario, but the use of two moving CLAs was intended to replicate the dynamics of a real intersection impact more closely than a stationary test setup.