Mercedes-Benz have revealed the all-new E-Class, the W213, to the world at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The all-new E-Class raises the bar for features especially in the autonomous assist department. While styling is akin to the C- and S-Class cars it sits between, the W213 somewhat retains the split-headlamp design on the new Multibeam LED units that distinguishes the E from the rest in the range. The new E is touted as “the most intelligent business saloon”, built with “sensual purity” as its design philosophy. The car has grown a considerable amount, with a length of 4,923 mm on a wheelbase measuring 2,933 mm.
The interior also benefits from several luxury features and creature comforts from the larger and more luxurious S-Class, including the twin 12.3” high-definition displays and Nappa leather upholstery. The seats are even more plush and the rear seat-back features a 40-20-40 split to increase practicality. The LED ambient lighting now offers a choice from a selection of 64 shades.
On the engine front, the initial offerings will be four-cylinder units, one petrol and one diesel. The E 200 will have the same 1,991-cc motor we’ve become familiar with, with 184 PS and 300 Nm. However, the other big news is the arrival of an all-new diesel engine family, this one displacing 1,950 cc. It’s more compact, shorter and possibly lighter, and the spacing between cylinder has gone down from 94 mm to 90 mm. In the new E 220 d, it makes 195 PS and 400 Nm, up 25 PS on the old 2,143-cc unit, with the same peak torque. The new 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic drives the rear wheels. The E 220 d delivers a claimed 25.6 km/l and 102 g/km of CO2.
Mercedes’ Dynamic Select offers five drive modes: Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sport+ and Individual, to further fine-tune the car’s dynamic characteristics. While there was news of new straight-six engines, Mercedes haven’t confirmed anything. The 333-PS E 400 as well as the 258-PS E 350 d with a new 279-PS E 350 e hybrid model are next on the list. Of course, there will be a hardcore AMG model to follow, as well as Coupé and Cabriolet models.
The new E is equipped with steel suspension is standard, with the new Direct Control air suspension offering a choice of Comfort, Comfortable Avantgarde (lowered by 15 mm) and Sporty, which is also lowered by 15 mm and has adaptive damping as standard, replacing the previous sports supension system. Alternatively, the Air Body Control can be specified that packs multi-chamber air suspension all round. It is self-levelling and adjusts automatically at each wheel depending on vehicle speed and road surface.
Driver assist features are now more advanced and even more enhanced than before with some all-new inclusions raising safety standards. Drive Pilot includes Distance Pilot Distronic, the evolution to Distronic+, with autonomous acceleration and braking up to 210 km/h. It can follow traffic and even go into standby for up to 30 seconds, making it a boon in stop-go traffic. At up to 130 km/h, it can function as part of a swarm, following traffic through a detour, for example, in a road works situation. Also part of the active safety suite are the Active Bake Assist with cross-traffic function, Active Lane-change Assist and Evasive Steering Assist.
Pre-safe also gets more advanced with Impulse Side, part of the Driver Assistance Plus package, that can detect an imminent lateral collision and move the passenger away from the side by inflating an air chamber in the side bolster. Pre-safe Sound uses a high-frequency aural alert through the sound system to warn the driver of a potential collision. Car-to-X communication, helping cars communicate with other road users, enables an advance warning to be delivered, if, for instance, a car has broken down around a bend ahead. COMAND Online handles connectvity and entertainment duties while the Burmester high-end audio system rounds off the equipment list.
Well, almost. Finally, we have the smart key that allows for digital access and also acts as a remote control for parking the car using the app. Overall, a lot of features that we can use on a day-to-day basis, and many more for added comfort and safety. That’s the new Mercedes E-Class.
Story: Jim Gorde
