The E Class was the first product from the Mercedes Benz portfolio to be launched when the German giant set up shop in India. The current W212 is the 4th generation E Class to be sold on our shores and was launched in the year 2009. Four years on Mercedes has given the E Class a midlife makeover and I got to spend a couple of days with one.
The pre facelift E Class had a very elegant look to it. It seemed to suit the middle aged business men and the like. One look at this new car and you instantly come to know that it has grown younger and sportier. The quad headlights give way to new single headlamp unit with DRLs integrated inside. The DRLs themselves look quite cool and actually give an impression of them being the eyes of a super model with sexy eyelashes.
Looks closely into the headlamp and you will notice a prominent “MERCEDES BENZ” insignia on the side. Nice and classy touch that. The E Class comes with a new grille with twin slats and a huge three pointed star in the centre which illuminates. The front bumper loses the DRLs which came on the earlier model and also looks sleeker than before. A prominent change when you look at the car from the side is that Mercedes has got rid of the slightly bulging rear wheel arches and that adds to the appeal of the car. The rear gets new LED headlamps and the new twin exhausts are integrated nicely into the rear bumper. The new car gets 18 inch alloys and I just love this design even more than those on its more powerful cousin, the E63 AMG.
The doors of the E open wide which makes getting in and out of the car very easy. The doors shut with an assuring thud which speaks of the build quality of this car. The quality and fit and finish of the cabin is top notch. The interior of the facelift E-Class does get some upgrades over the older car. The black dashboard with aluminium looks awesome and I prefer this over wood. There are new AC vents on the centre console and an analogue clock finds place in the centre between the vents. Old school things like that clock really feel nice at times. The three spoke sports steering wheel has fantastic grip and feels really nice to hold. The gear selector has been moved to the steering column which in turn has freed space on the centre console for a couple of cup holders. The pre facelift 4 cylinder models had the gear stick in the centre. The COMMAND screen is bigger and better than the earlier car and the control knob is located on the centre console. The E-Class also gets Navigation now. The instrument cluster is easy to read and the hooded dials look great too.
The front seats are large and very comfortable. Support levels are good as well. The memory function is useful and I like that fact the adjustment controls for the seats are on the door panel unlike the conventional location at the side of the seat base. There is additional storage under the front seats as well. The rear seats have a good recline angle and under thigh support but they are only good for two people to sit in comfort. The high transmission tunnel would make things uncomfortable for a third passenger. The rear passengers get AC vents on the B pillar as well. The E-Class gets an electrical sun blind for the rear windshield and manual blinds for the rear windows. The test car also came with a panoramic sunroof.
The face lift E-Class is offered in two variants; the E200 CGI petrol and the E250 CDI diesel. Unlike in the earlier car, V6 motors are not available in the E currently. The test car was the E250 with the oil burner. The 2143cc engine puts out 204 horses @ 4200rpm makes 500 Nm of torque from as less as 1600rpm. The motor is very refined and you cant hear any clatter inside the cabin. Acceleration is effortless and linear. The engine is mated to the 7 G Tronic gearbox. While the shifts are very smooth, they aren’t lightning quick. You can drive the car manually too via the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. It does the 0 to 100 kph dash in a claimed 7.5 seconds and has a top speed of 242 kph.
The E Class electric power steering makes the car very agile to drive. While there is noticeable body roll, it takes to corners quite enthusiastically thanks to the DIRECT CONTROL suspension which automatically adjusts according to the driving scenario.
Ride quality is fantastic as expected from a Mercedes and it absorbs uneven road surfaces with aplomb, the only exception being extremely bad roads where bumps were felt at low speeds. Still nothing to complain about. The test car came with a staggered tyre set up with 245/40 R18 tyres at the front and 265/35 R18 at the read. While the grip from the rubber is good, there is light tyre noise that makes its way into the cabin. The E Class comes with a space saver tyre as a spare.
The new E Class will now appeal more to the younger buyer than ever before. While its new looks have given it a more youthful character, it still retains the charm of what one expects from the three pointed star. It feels like the perfect combination of grace and sportiness. It is comfortable, comes loaded with a lot of equipment and has enough power as well. A young entrepreneur would feel just at home in the new E Class as someone who has been there done that. It is a car that you can drive yourself rather than just relaxing in the back seat. It can no longer be termed as the car you would own when you are on the other side of the forties as is the popular belief. To conclude, the E-Class does make a strong case for itself against is rivals. However, Mercedes needs to get the bigger 6 cylinder engines back into their line up soon because not everyone will want to buy the mighty E63 AMG which is the only upgrade in the E-Class range if you want more power.
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