The technology evolved, allowing the three-pointed star brand to release in 2007 the Pre-Scan suspension, on the F700 concept. Several more years of tweaks led to the market launch of a new type of ABC, the Magic Body Control, on the 2013 S-Class.
Earlier this week, Mercedes launched another version of the ABC, the E-Active, which will be first used on the GLE that was just unveiled.WHAT IS IT
E-Active Body Control is an optional suspensions system that includes the Road Scan, Airmatic, the Magic Body Control suspension and comes with a 48 V operating voltage.
The Airmatic allows for the suspension to adapt to the prevailing conditions of the road. The damping of each wheel self-adjusts with lightning speed to the condition of the road or the way in which the car is being driven.
There are two novelties introduced with the new technology. First, the 48 V operating voltage allows in certain conditions for the suspension to recuperate the energy it needs to work. That means, according to Mercedes figures, that the energy requirement compared to the system deployed in the S-Class is halved.
Secondly, each spring strut is fitted with hydraulic cylinders to enable the force in each of them to be adjusted individually. This allows vertical, rolling and pitching movements to be compensated to a very high degree.DRIVING THE E-ACTIVE GLE
When cruising down the road, the GLE will know in advance what type of surface is ahead. Using a stereo camera fitted in the windscreen, the Road Surface Scan is capable of detecting any undulations in the road, before the wheels drive over them.
The camera scans the road 15 meters in front of the vehicle and has a height measurement accuracy of around 3 millimeters.
The information provided by the camera is processed by the car’s computers and cross-referenced with data from acceleration sensors, pressure sensors in the spring struts and level sensors in the control arm.
After all this is done, the system then tells the suspension to compensate for the change in road level. The degree of compensation the suspension provides can be set by the driver.
When cornering, the GLE will make use of E-Active’s capabilities to lean into the bends in three stages, virtually eliminating the centrifugal force the occupants of the car would otherwise feel. OFF-ROADING WITH THE E-ACTIVE GLE
The GLE is an SUV, hence from time to time its owners will take it for a spin in the wilderness. In this model, Mercedes will be introducing the free-driving mode as a new off-road function.
When free-driving is active, the suspension will lend a helping hand to get the car unstuck. Depending on the situation, it can be raised or lowered several times, changing the tire pressure and thus improving traction, maybe just enough to get the car clear.
This vertical rocking motion is not unlike the one performed for ages by lowriders, albeit on a much smaller scale and with entirely different tech.
Another new feature Mercedes included in the new GLE is the individual wheel actuation. This allows the driver to control and set the height of each wheel individually from inside the car, via the touchscreen of the media display.
This should be particularly useful when a wheel gets completely stuck or the wheel spring is fully contracted and doesn’t allow for more vertical movement.
The system will be offered as an option for GLE engine variants with six and more cylinders. Two other suspensions will also be offered both new: steel and AIRMATIC.
Below is a video on how the Magic Body Control, included in the E-Active, works.
