2001 March, via M.B.: The North American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the Mercedes Benz C320 and E430 cars `best pick' grade in safety.

The crash tests include an offset front impact at 64.5km/h (40mph) into a deformable barrier; the C320 and E430 achieved the top mark of "good".

The C320, E430 and ML320 4x4 previously achieved top marks in 1999.

Go to the on-road pages