Active Body Control

[3] In the ABC system, a computer detects body movement from sensors located throughout the vehicle, and controls the action of the active suspension with the use of hydraulic servomechanisms.

[1] A total of 13 sensors continually monitor body movement and vehicle level and supply the ABC controller with new data every ten milliseconds.

A suspension strut, consisting of a steel coil spring and a shock absorber connected in parallel, as well as a hydraulically controlled adjusting cylinder, are located between the vehicle body and wheel.

[1] The system also incorporates height adjustable suspension, which in this case lowers the vehicle up to 11 mm (0.43 in) between the speeds of 60–160 km/h (37–99 mph) for better aerodynamics, fuel consumption, and handling.

For this purpose the ABC control unit uses the yaw rate, lateral acceleration, steering angle and road speed sensors of the Electronic Stability Program ESP®.

Initially only available on 8-cylinder models and above, Magic Ride Control attempts to isolate the car's body by predicting rather than reacting to broken pavement and speed humps.

[8][9] The ABC has undergone major modifications for the new S-Class: the wheel damping is now continuously adjustable, the spring strut response has been improved and the pump efficiency has been further enhanced.