Front Bumper: Description and Operation

63 Bumper system

The proven bumper system has been retained from the previous model and adapted to the new vehicle contours.

The area of the impact elements on the front bumper has undergone substantial modification. The objective of this modification was to increase protection for the body-in-white in the front of the vehicle at low impact speeds. This is important for a favourable insurance classification.

Improvement in this area has been achieved through the use of new, energy-absorbing impact elements with a stroke of 50 mm. These impact elements now consist of two tubes, one inserted into the other, instead of just one tube as was previously the case.

At the same time they are now secured to the front body cross member using three threaded connections instead of two. As a result they are less sensitive to oblique impact.

A seal (2) is installed between the impact element (1) and the body (3). The bumper (4) is screwed to the impact element from above.













The outer, thicker-walled tube is equipped with specially defined impressions. In a crash, the inner tube is pushed into the outer one. In doing so it must "push past" the impressions which form a star-shaped narrowing. This process reduces energy and therefore also minimises intrusion into body parts and overall deformation of the front of the vehicle.

The bumper system and the impact elements (1) at the rear correspond to the previous design.