In an emergency, milliseconds can make all the difference. In this context, the high-stability passenger cell in the new R-Class forms a highly resilient protective barrier for occupants. In designing the vehicle body, special attention was paid to protecting other road users in order to reduce their risk of injury. Should the system detect a crash, a sophisticated series of airbags provides crucial assistance. In the event of a frontal collision, the standard specification dual-stage front airbags can protect the driver and front passenger depending on the severity of the impact. The two front seats are also equipped with side airbags.

Sidebags integrated in the backrests are available as an option for the second seat row. Should the system identify a side collision or roll-over, windowbags can expand like a curtain to protect all seat rows. The driver/front-passenger seats as well as the second-row rear seats are fitted with 3-point seat belts as standard. Like the front seats, the outer seats in the second row also feature belt tensioners and belt force limiters.

Crash-responsive NECK-PRO head restraints for the driver and front passenger are included as standard. If the system identifies a rear-end collision above a defined severity, pre-loaded springs push the head restraints forwards by around 43 mm and 24 mm upwards at lightning speed to support the heads of the front occupants at an earlier stage. This can significantly reduce the risk of whiplash injury.