The Mercedes E-class is one of those cars that you mess with at your peril. It is the definitive Mercedes which has been through nine generations and works at every level from taxi cab (in its native Germany) to presidential transport. So what is Mercedes doing producing a new E-class, less than four years after it introduced the W212 series? The answer is that it is new but not all-new: what other companies would call a mid-cycle facelift but with major changes to the powertrain and a raft of new safety and driver assistance systems.
The bodywork changes are mostly around the face: a new grille, enlarged under-bumper air intakes and some very fancy elongated headlamp units. The majority of cars sold will have the ‘sport’ grille with a large three-pointed star at its centre; it seems that the traditional ‘gunsight’ badge surmounting the bonnet is on the way out.
Mercedes is determined to lighten-up its image, and is gradually moving towards a new house style, more sculptured and curvaceous but at the same time sportier and more youthful. Although the E-class is the absolute leader in its class, Mercedes is smarting from being pushed back to third place behind BMW and Audi in the premium market as a whole.
The real reason for what it calls the most significant model revision ever undertaken by Mercedes is technical. While the four-cylinder 2.1-litre diesel engines of the E220 and E250 CDI models are largely unchanged, the four-cylinder petrol engine used in the E200 and E250 is all-new. Called BlueDirect, it is a 2-litre with direct fuel injection, turbocharging, exhaust gas recirculation, and stratified lean-burn combustion. For the E250, Mercedes claims six-cylinder performance (214 PS, 0-100 kmph in 7.4 sec) with four-cylinder consumption (17.24 kmpl and 135 g/km CO2).
The wide choice of engines is completed by the E350 six-cylinder BlueTec diesel, a bi-turbo V6 petrol engine for the E400, and the naturally-aspirated V8 E500. There is also an E300 BlueTec Hybrid which combines a 207PS four-cylinder diesel engine with a 27PS electric motor to achieve an official fuel consumption figure of 24.3kmpl and 107 g/km CO2.
All of these engines are combined with Mercedes’ seven-speed automatic transmission, operated from a selector stalk or manually by steering column paddles. There is now the choice of four suspension set-ups, including Airmatic air suspension which is standard with the V8. New is electro-mechanical power steering, originally developed by Mercedes’ AMG performance arm.
Whatever the model, the new E-class is more fuel-efficient than its predecessor. It should also be even safer, thanks to a suite of driver assistance systems that Mercedes calls ‘intelligent drive’. The significant thing about this is that some of these devices are introduced for the first time and will also be included in the new S-class to be launched later this year. In the past, new developments have been offered on the S flagship first and trickled down to the next generations of lesser models.
That said, the majority of these new assistance systems are costly options on the E-class. Only Collision Prevention Assist, a radar-based warning system which helps to reduce the risk of rear-end collision, and Active Park Assist, which uses the electric power steering to guide the driver into parking spaces, are standard.
For an extra Rs 1,90,000 (UK) a driver assist package includes Distronic Plus and Pre-Safe with the new dimension of a stereo (3D) multi-purpose camera, a multi-stage radar sensor system, and a range of ultrasonic sensors. This provides pedestrian avoidance and autonomous braking up to 50kmph, active lane-keeping assistance by braking individual wheels which also allows it to swerve out of the way of an on-coming hazard, and traffic sign assist which transmits roadside warning signs to the instrument panel. A further option pack (Rs1,00,000) brings LED headlamps with a complex shutter system that allows the lights to stay on high beam, while shielding on-coming drivers from glare.
In all, 11 new safety systems are available but we have to wonder how many E-class buyers will go for them. The Mercedes S-class attracts wealthy owners who order their cars ‘fully loaded’ and don’t worry about the cost. The majority of E-class saloons are bought by businesses working to a tighter budget.
And if you disregard the novelties and concentrate on the basic car and how it drives, the latest E-class doesn’t seem such a great step forward. There’s not much to criticize about the electric power steering. The ride is comfortable, especially with the optional Airmatic suspension, but the handling is safe and secure rather than sporting.
The standard-fit seven speed automatic allows higher overall gearing but does not change gear as smoothly and unobtrusively as the ubiquitous ZF eight-speed used by BMW and Audi. The biggest advance is the 2 litre petrol engine which in this large and heavy car is more powerful and economical than might reasonably be expected. When it is working hard, it doesn’t have the refinement of a six- or eight-cylinder engine but you can forgive that for its overall efficiency. It marks another strike back for the petrol engine against diesel.
The top model of the E-class range, the E63 AMG, requires a different assessment. That’s partly because it is more than twice the price of the lowest E220 (the E63 is a formidable Rs59.8 lakh in the UK) but also because it is in a completely different category. With 557PS from its 5.5 litre V8 twin-turbo V8, it is one of the world’s most powerful saloons.
Although they can waft along in traffic without problems, these AMG specials have so much latent power and torque that they need to be driven with special care. Wisely, a new S version (with the engine further uprated to 593PS and 800Nm) provides four-wheel drive; you realize its value at the first over-eager prod on the throttle coming out of a tight corner! But given the right conditions, this is a seriously fast and rewarding car. 0-100 kmph in 3.6 seconds is a good acceleration time for a super-sports car and here it is achieved by a 1,850 kg saloon or estate wagon.
Although the E63 AMG is offered as part of the E-class range it is really directed at a quite different customer. But, like BMW with its M-cars, Mercedes hopes that its magnificence will rub-off on the solid, sensible four-cylinder models that most people buy.
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