Mercedes conducts first public high‑speed side‑impact crash test

Mercedes-Benz announced a high‑speed side‑impact crash test at the 2026 Paris Motor Show. Two compact cars, each weighing more than 2,000 kilograms, collided at 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) to demonstrate how the new CLA models protect occupants and their power‑train components. The test is the first public example of its kind.

Test set‑up and vehicle details

The collision involved a hybrid CLA Shooting Brake and an electric CLA Sedan, each exceeding 2,000 kg. Both vehicles approached the impact point at 35 mph from perpendicular directions, meeting at a 90‑degree angle. Mercedes ran the test without automatic‑braking systems to isolate structural responses during a controlled laboratory session. Eight dummies—four adults and four children—recorded forces at 150 measurement points each.

Crash footage showed the hybrid’s front crumple zones absorbing energy while the electric model’s high‑voltage battery remained intact. Both cars’ safety cells preserved occupant space, and the battery in the electric car automatically shut down. According to the automaker, every crash‑test dummy stayed below the relevant injury assessment limits.

After impact, both cars automatically unlocked their doors and lowered side windows, demonstrating the safety system’s readiness. The hybrid shut off its fuel supply, while the electric model disconnected its battery from the drivetrain. Mercedes also triggered an automatic emergency call, highlighting the integrated vehicle‑to‑world connectivity for first‑responder teams.

By allowing two moving vehicles to collide, the test imposes higher impact forces than the IIHS side‑impact test, which strikes a stationary vehicle at 37 mph, or Euro NCAP’s mobile barrier test at 60 kph. Mercedes calls this a world first, the first public high‑speed side‑impact crash test.