It was available for 2020 but not for 2021...that simple. Unless something has changed very recently, you can’t order E-ABC on any GLE for 2021.

 

No question E-ABC is the more advanced system. As noted in my post #43 above, it is an update of the Active Curve system I had on my '12 ML350, using the 48V system to power the roll bars vs. mechanically-driven hydraulic pumps, and undoubtedly better sensors and software. I liked the system on the old ML, and the new one has got to be better.

E-ABC, which I have on my 4/19 build GLE 450, has many more capabilities, at the expense of cost, weight and complexity. It does control roll very well in Sport and Sport+ modes. I did a very fast run through the canyons east of Baker City, OR last year in Sport+ that had me very impressed. I do worry about reliability as the car ages, as I tend to keep mine a full model cycle. This is the first time I purchased extended warranty.
E-ABC has the comfort end of the spectrum covered better than ARC; being that the AMG variant is always more performance-oriented it's a natural choice they made. The Curve mode of E-ABC is for passenger comfort but feels unnatural if you try to push it, IMO.
I thought it was to be available on the 580, but perhaps not. The '21 350 & 450 are available to build on MBUSA now. Here is the 6/16/20 version of the DOG which does not mention E-ABC.
Edit: 348SStb reminded me it is the GLS 580 it is available on.

 

E-ABC is not available on the GLE 580 for 2021, I might have ordered a 580 if it had been. It is available on the GLS 580 though.

 

I believe you — but this doesn’t make much sense. Mercedes bragged about millions of km tested on the E-ABC system - they spent big time money on developing the 48-volt architecture to support it.

Maybe a supply-chain problem due to Covid, so it’s gone temporarily for the GLE while remaining available on GLS?

 

Thank you for posting the guide.

 

I’m convinced AMG Active Ride Control suspension DOES NOT use a camera to scan the road ahead.

The camera thing seems to be reserved for S-classes with Magic Body Control, the defunct AMG S65 coupe (which had an exclusive variant of Magic Body Control only for the coupe S65 variant) or cars with E-ABC.

My sources: various Mercedes owners manuals available online.
(a) S-class (2019)
(b) AMG S-class supplement (2019)
(c) GLE (2020 or 2021)
(d) AMG GLE supplement (2020 or 2021)
*****Interstingly, E-Active Body Control
was not removed from the 2021 GLE manual.*****

The components of every suspension system are listed by Mercedes in the owner’s manuals. The camera and the SCAN feature are listed in connection with the Magic Body Control and E-ABC. The SCAN feature is NOT mentioned in connection with the AMG GLE Active Ride Control suspension.

It would be way too much work to provide all those pages here and unpack the verbiage - I encourage folks to consult the owners manuals here.
<https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/manuals>

But here are some snippets.

<E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL
Function of E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL

E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL is an electrohydraulic suspension system with variable damping for improved driving comfort. The all-round level control system ensures the best possible sus‐ pension and constant ground clearance, even with a laden vehicle. When driving at speed, the vehicle is lowered automatically to improve driv‐ ing safety and to reduce fuel consumption. The suspension setting is adjusted depending on the road surface, vehicle load and the drive program selected.
The ROAD SURFACE SCAN function detects areas of unevenness in the road before you drive over them by means of a multifunction camera. This reduces chassis movements.
The damping is adjusted individually to each wheel and depends on the following factors:
R Driving style, e.g. sporty
R Road condition, e.g. bumps R Drive program
E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL is comprised of the following functions and components:
R ROAD SURFACE SCAN
R Curve inclination function CURVE
R Recovery mode
R Individual wheel control
R Air suspension with automatic level control
R Speed-dependent lowering to reduce fuel consumption
R Manual level adjustment
R ADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping System with constant adjustment of damping characteris‐ tics)
R DYNAMIC SELECT switch and level button>

<Function of AMG active adaptive sport sus‐ pension system

The AMG active adaptive sport suspension sys‐ tem is an air suspension system with variable damping for improved driving characteristics. The all-round level control system ensures the best possible suspension and constant ground clearance, even with a laden vehicle. When driv‐ ing at speed, the vehicle is lowered automati‐ cally to improve driving safety and to reduce fuel consumption. You also have the option of man‐ ually adjusting the vehicle level.
The damping is set individually for each wheel and is affected by the following factors:
R Thedrivingstyle,e.g.sporty
R Theroadcondition,e.g.bumps
R TheindividualselectionofSport,Sport+or Comfort

Driving and parking 19
TheAMGactiveadaptivesportsuspensionsys‐ tem includes the following components and functions:
R Airsuspensionwithvariablespringrateand automatic level control
R Speed-dependentloweringtoreducefuel consumption
R Manuallyselectablehighlevelsettingfor greatergroundclearance
R ADSPLUS(AdaptiveDampingSystemwith constant damping force adjustment)
R DYNAMICSELECTswitchandlevelbutton R Suspensionsettingbutton>

 

There were issues long before Covid but it might still be related to the complexity of manufacturing. Early scheduled builds (2/2019) except for Greg’s were never completed many months later-if ever. It would be interesting to learn the real story. The Dealer line is that it was discontinued because of “low take rate” but I don’t buy it. IMO, the E-ABC is in limited availability because of another reason. Is it Reliability related? Manufacturing related? Needs refinement? Component shortages? There has been no official communication by Mercedes so we are left guessing!
But like you said....they invested a lot in money and testing so what happened?

 

You're probably right — there is likely some undisclosed reason.

I would like to point out that this E-ABC suspension is basically a glorified version of the second-gen ABC system that’s been out since 2012 with the SL and refined for the SL in 2017 and refined for the S-class in 2018. Those systems were a refinement on gen1 which had been available since 2000. It’s a hydropneumatic, electro-hydraulic suspension system that now uses a 48-volt architecture to drive the pump (belt-driven pump has been eliminated) — but the basic concept is the same without any huge changes in types of components — components are likely different due to improvement, but I can’t see the thing being “complex” in a way that it’s more complex than previous generations.

 

Great amount of effort went into this summary. Thanks for your work.
Unfortunately, some of the Mercedes literature you referenced is out of date. Several of your quotes refer to pre-2018 systems, and some refer to 2012 systems. I wish M-B would quit using the same nomenclature for systems that are entirely different in function.

I have gone back and forth over your initial statement "I’m convinced AMG Active Ride Control suspension DOES NOT use a camera to scan the road ahead," and I've gone back and forth for over a year now. Currently the most recent posting from Daimler indicates that cameras ARE used in AMG ARC, in their Aug 2019 press release. https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaS...kZXg9NQ!!&rs=0

I think you were referring to the "air" part of the suspension, "AMG active adaptive sport suspension," which is different from "electromechanical roll stabilisation AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL (above)." The Air part clearly doesn't use cameras, but other articles in the Daimler site DO refer to the camera-driven adaptation.
The most specific Daimler reference to cameras is on the GLS 63, but that source doesn't reference the 53 versions, nor does it refer to any Country limitations.
So I think the jury is still out.

FWIW I know that the 465 AMG Active Ride Control is still part of the DE6 AMG Dynamic Plus Package. And the "215 Adaptive Damping System," and "489 AMG Sport Suspension based on AIRMATIC" are listed as Standard Equipment on a 53 - separate from the Active Ride Control. So there must be some difference, as implied by the Daimler articles.

Some day I will be able to drive the standard AMG Airmatic, back-to-back with the Active Ride Control. Until then, literature searches yield conflicting results.

 

Mikapen, the link you provided does not mention anything about the camera being used. I’m guessing you put in the wrong link. Based on my preliminary research it seems that the AMG versions of the GLE and GLS (i.e., 53/63) do not have the “road scanning” features that are included with E-ABC.

 

You're right - wrong link, and now I can't find the GLE63 link that talks about Curve control, and another that talks about cameras. Whether they apply to the 53 series is yet another ambiguity.
If there isn't a forward scanning feature, why would M-B use similar language to describe their ability to anticipate potholes, E-ABC or AMG ARC? (another link that I can't find right now....) Marketing Department, I suppose.

Nevertheless, to the Thread topic, there definitely IS AMG Active Ride Control for 2021, we just aren't sure what it does.

 

I have read the same claim by Mercedes about improving the ride. Some of the early Magazine test drive reviews also said it scanned the road. But road scanning isn’t specifically stated as it was with E-ABC so IMO it’ leaves us in the dark.

Here’s what Mercedes says in the online Configurator if you don’t do a build but scroll down to the feature and then open the description:


AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL with roll stabilization.
In addition to the capabilities and modes of AMG RIDE CONTROL+, the 48-volt architecture of the GLE allows for an enhancement offering active roll stabilization. Each axle employs an independently operating electromechanical actuator with an integrated planetary gear. The system can help reduce body roll and allows for more precise damping adaptation when cornering. In straight-line driving, it can enhance comfort by helping adapt to asymmetrical wheel movements such as bumps on one side of the road

If it scanned the road then one would expect it to say so in this description but ???

 

OK try this. https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaS...l?oid=30455458

It refers to the S65, but it's recently dated and says "The S 65 Coupé's exclusive AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL suspension prepares for bumps in the carriageway ahead before the vehicle drives over them. To do so, AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL combines active suspension springing with continuously adjustable damping. The system precisely scans the condition of the road ahead with the help of a stereo camera to optimally adjust the damping of each individual wheel to the upcoming bumps ahead of time."

As above, we don't know how much of this applies to the 53's, if any, but the technology seems available, if not present.

 

That’s the article I now remember seeing earlier. It applies to the GLE 53 with the optional AMG Ride Control package...they don’t have but one package, IMO.

 

The information in that article in connection with the AMG S65 Coupe’s suspension does *not* apply to any car today - even if Mercedes-AMG is ba-st-ar-dizing some terminology by using “AMG Active Ride Control” back then and now to suit different cars.

The Mercedes-AMG S65 Coupe had a bespoke suspension: it was AMG’s most advanced suspension, and it was given only to the coupe version of the S65.

However, information in that article in connection with the “AMG Active Ride Control+” system on the S63 Coupe/ Cabriolet and S65 Cabriolet does seem to intersect with today’s implementation of AMG Active Ride Control+.

My guess? The S-Class two-doors of 2018-2020 received a more expensive and different variant of this suspension technology than what they are using on today’s new GLE and GLS vehicles.

 

Wasn't the old "most advanced suspension" a hydraulic setup? I so, how could it possibly compare to the 48v current system?
I would think the 48v system would be quicker, more tune-able, and more powerful - while maybe being cheaper to build.

I wish we knew how the AMG Active Ride Control+ sensed things. Maybe that's where the new S-Class things are superior - or maybe they aren't. Maybe some day we'll find out.
I'm hoping to find out how it feels when ours arrives in March (?).

 

Read prior comments of mine where I discuss hydraulic and 48V.

The ABC system is always a hydraulic system whether then with ABC or now with E-ABC. The 48V modification uses a 48V system to power the hydraulic pump which supersedes the belt-driven motor which needed power from the combustion engine to drive a belt to power the pump. The advantage here is the system does not ask for power from the combustion engine which (supposedly) results in better fuel economy. (My thing is- the 48V system relies on the combustion engine in order for it to collect and store energy- so what are we gaining? Maybe the 48V system is more efficient at distributing energy?)

Pressurized hydraulic fluid can move almost instantaneously - let’s not think hydraulic anything is obsolete technology. Don’t forget planes, elevators, magnetorheological suspensions, steering systems, etc. utilize hydraulics.