bigh123

Has anyone checked out the new safety features on the 2013 JX? The backup drivier intervention is an awesome feature. They added some other stuff too. I thought MB usually is in the front for active features, but Infiniti really is giving them a run for their money. Volvo of course has good tech in this area too.

Any chance the 2013 will have additional active safety? I ordered one with the driver assistance package and parktronic, so hopefully they will put it in!

hyperion667

only downside is the (only an opinion) ugly as hell car you'd have to be driving in...
but no, have not heard about the feature you mentioned.....
what does it do?

WEBSRFR

When you are backing up, if a small child, adult, pet/animal darts behind the car, the car executes a panic stop for you avoiding an accident... Very nice feature.

Also the feature mentioned with the Volvo is very nice. Almost makes it impossible to hit a pedestrian in low speed city traffic...

Hope Mercedes integrates both features into our vehicles before long...

RobbieRob

Sounds like a real cheesy feature, more a selling gadget. I wouldn't order it if it was an option because I only back up out of my garage or into a parking space at low speeds. If I can't see anyone in my mirrors, or on my back up camera, (and plus my sensors will be going off), I shouldn't be driving.

hyperion667

did you know, the more I think on it, the more I agree with RobbieRob,
I tend to be pretty fookin' careful while backing up too.....

maybe MB hasn't done this is because it's lame?
it's not like someone at the MB think-tank HQ hasn't thought of something similar to that already....

BenzV12

This is what happened today as far as concerning back up feature . So, engine is on , I tried to engage all the shift points from P to D but I could not select R . My sales manager told me that my car was too close to the wall behind and it automatically refused to shift into R for safety reasons .Then , I selected D and moved a few centimeters . This time it successfully engaged into R because of larger space between car and wall

So, this car is smart and if you are slip minded it could prevent you from backing into your neighbour's car lol lol

bigh123

Wow. Is parktronic needed to do this? Parktronic should be standard.

K-A

M-B is working on, and still does have a version of this that works when going frontward, which will be furthered with the W222 S-Class ("floor air-bag"), which is the "brake assist' feature. I think with Distronic, it actually will do it for you as well.

I don't know about you guys, but these "Assists" make me a worse driver. The backup camera on my car is a HUGE Help to me, and I honestly feel like I don't need anything more, because as it is, it has made me a TERRIBLE reverser in other cars that don't come with it. Like most of these luxuries, it forces you to operate at a lower sense of your capabilities (i.e, dumbs you down). I'm not saying that I'd turn it down, because I wouldn't, but I do know that I have lost some of my abilities to navigate a car while going backwards ever since getting used to my E's rearview camera.

venchka

Show me the crash test dummies. They are the indicators of real safety features. The reason why we drive M-B vehicles. And the occasional Volvo.

Wayne

mnje350

I am thinking that someone is advertising a minivan with this feature as well. They were also showing the blind spot assist feature that looks remarkably like what is on my 2010 E.

bigh123

Corret me if I am wrong, but Distronic plus in the e-class (not sure about S) will only stop your vechile if you are using the radar cruise. With the radar cruise off, it will slow down your vehicle when it knows that a crash is unavoidable to reduce impact (which is brillant. This will save lives for head on collisions)

ttoE550

True, except distronic with cc will use only up to 40% braking. If more is needed it beeps for driver. You can get in an accident with cc but your idea is right.

WEBSRFR

Wow. that's a pretty interesting attitude. I guess if you can't stop in time for the vehicle in front of you stopping suddenly you should not need Distronic either because needing it means you don't know how to drive....

If a kid runs into the rear of your car as you are pulling out of a driveway, your visibility is limited and in this case by the time parking sensors warn you, it is too late. The Infinity system mentioned by the OP is a lot more sophisticated. It actually tracks the vector of a moving object that is out and away of the field of view of the backup camera and the backup camera sensors. It intervenes when the vector of a foreign object would intersect the backup vector of your vehicle in the future. A situation you might not be aware of if you are backing out of a driveway or garage due to poor visibility.

Safety features are not there because you don;t know how to drive it is because driving requires you to essentially pay attention to a 360 degree view while managing your life and family and whatever is around you. A split second distraction can result in a tragic accident.

Perhaps you are a perfect driver who needs no safety aides whatsoever, Mercedes or otherwise, but some of us don't mind the extra help and when we pay more for a vehicle we don't mind having a bit of technology around to help us out just in case.

RobbieRob

I'm not a perfect driver, but I have enough safety features on my car to satisfy me. How fast are you really going in reverse, I know I just barely move when backing up. And also, the last time I checked, the fatality rate for being ran over by a car in reverse is pretty low. Like I said before, if it was an option, I wouldn't want to pay for it. I guess you need it, and maybe others might want or need it also. I'm good though. MB typically comes out first with the newest and most usable safety features, but they have passed on it for now. I imagine that Infinity did not invent this feature either. Thanks for the Smarta** remarks to my comment.

WEBSRFR

I am glad you got the point I was trying to make. And you are welcome.

While I obviously love the brand, the Mercedes Kool Aid some drink is astounding to a point where any advance not made or offered my Mercedes is somehow faulty or not worthy.

RobbieRob

No Kool Aid drinking here, I think its a worthy feature,, for a soccer Mom.

hyperion667

seriously........it's a dumb feature designed to take more of your money.........if not it would be free.....

"hey look at our free safety feature!"

then they would have something.......

venchka

Down here in Pick-Up & Suburban World I need a periscope in mall parking lots. Or just avoid mall parking lots entirely. That's it. No malls. Grinning.

Wayne

bigh123

+1

ImInPA

I think that kids running around doing stupid stuff is all part of Natural Selection. The kid that plays behind parked SUVs doesn't grow up to have kids of his own. Protect the gene pool. (just sorta kidding kinda.)

mnje350

I can't imagine how sick I would feel if I backed over a kid. Regardless of the reason.

steelgrey

I assume that everyone is aware that Infiniti and Mercedes have signed an agreemant to share technology and platforms/engines. This very well could be a Mercedes technology. Remember the JX is an SUV which has a far more restrictive view of small objects behind the vehicle. I have read of many cases of small children darting behind an SUV and being run over. If one childs life is saved then it is a worthwhile feature.

To continue on the sharing agreement the new small Infiniti will be built on tha Mercedes A Class chassis and will use the A Class Engine.

mitaka

OK I owned 2 hearses like the Infiniti... These cross overs are horrible vehicles to park especially in NYC and by your wives. You really need a lot of extra features to park these monsters. 204 inches long an bad visibility from the inside made my first R class really hard to park. My 09 had backup camera and parktronic... so it was much better but still a pain. Infiniti JX is very similar vehicle to the R Class... a hearse... So I can see how this feature may come in handy but for an E Class sedan back up camera, parktronic and Parking assist is more than anybody's wife will need...

K-A

Good point, these new "Crossovers" are the most functionally idiotic vehicles to date. They are meant as FAMILY/UTLITY vehicles, and by nature are the antithesis to "sexy", yet eradicate safe and logical functionality for plunging rooflines, slit-tiny rear windows, and sightliness blockades galore.

Completely and utterly idiotic. No wonder they need to develop these tech features for it.