Mercedes-Benz has officially taken the wraps off the new 2016 E-Class sedan prior to its unveiling at the Detroit Motor Show. This is the fifth generation of the luxury sedan.
The new E-Class gets its styling cues from the smaller C-Class and the bigger S-Class and features an elongated bonnet and a coupe style roofline. The wheelbase has increased by 65 mm to 2939mm and length by 43 mm to 4923 mm as compared to its predecessor. The longer wheelbase gives it shorter overhangs. The base version and the EXCLUSIVE trim line will get the traditional grille with the three pointed star on the bonnet, while the AVANTGARDE and AMG models will get the sporty twin slat grille with a large Mercedes logo. It gets MULTIBEAM LED headlamps with with 84 individually controlled high-performance LEDs.
The car uses higher proportion of aluminium and ultra-high-strength steel components in its construction. The front wings, bonnet, boot lid, and large sections of the front and rear ends are made of sheet or cast aluminium, thereby making the car lighter than before. The new E-Class has a record-breaking drag coefficient (cd value) of 0.23.
The interior of the new E-Class is completely redesigned. Here too, one can find inspiration from the C-Class and the S-Class. There are two 12.3 inch next-generation high-resolution display screens. The driver can choose between three different styles to select their preferred design for the wide-screen instrument cluster: “Classic”, “Sport” and “Progressive”. There is a new steering wheel which gets Touch Controls on the horizontal spokes. Like a smartphone interface, they respond precisely to horizontal and vertical swiping movements, allowing the driver to control the entire infotainment system using finger swipes. The new COMMAND infotainment system is controlled via a touchpad on the centre console. The touchpad can even recognise handwriting, and the LINGUATRONIC voice control system. Other features include LED ambient lighting in 64 colours, Burmester 3D surround sound system with 23 speakers.
The new E-Class get all new seats. The rear bench seat comes with the option of a three-piece backrest with a 40:20:40 split. The centre armrest include a stowage box and two pop-out drinks holders. There is also the option of a holder for a tablet PC for the rear passengers.
The new E-Class will come with a varied choice of engines. At launch, the new car in the E200 guise will get a 184 horsepower four cylinder petrol engine with 300 Nm torque and the E220d will get an all new four cylinder diesel engine with 195 horsepower and 400 Nm torque. The E350 e PLUG IN HYBRID combines power from a four cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor jointly developing 279 horses and 600 Nm torque. The more powerful E350d will boast of a 3.0 litre six cylinder diesel motor good for 258 horsepower and 620 Nm torque. Mercedes will also offer the E400 with a six cylinder petrol engine putting out 33 horsepower and 480 Nm torque. All engines will be mated to a nine speed automatic gearbox. The AMG E63 could get 4.0 litre twin turbo V8 engine that is seen in the C63 and the GT.
Multi level air suspension is also available on the new E-Class as an option. The highly sensitive and fast-responding AIR BODY CONTROL multi-chamber air suspension features all-round self-levelling for excellent ride comfort even with the vehicle loaded. It controls the ride height automatically depending on the speed and reduces fuel consumption on the motorway, for example, by lowering the vehicle. The ground clearance can also be increased at the push of a button using the ride height adjustment switch. The DYNAMIC SELECT switch enables the driver to select from four AIR BODY CONTROL modes: “Comfort”, “ECO”, “Sport” and “Sport+”. The additional “Individual” option allows drivers to configure their vehicle to suit their own preferences.
