More electrification and security monitoring tech all come to the refreshed Mercedes-Benz stalwart saloon, arriving in Singapore Q4 2020

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Stuttgart, Germany

Mercedes-Benz has announced some details on the facelifted version of the current 10th-generation E-Class – codenamed W213 – and it has been shown off.  It’s expected to arrive in Singapore in late 2020. 

Like the Skoda Octavia RS and Volkswagen Golf GTI, the car was virtually debuted with the cancellation of the Geneva Motorshow.

Since this is a facelift the dimensions of the car look to be largely unchanged – just under five-metres long – although the design has evolved and Mercedes is increasing the electrification of the powertrain, plus onboard technology. 

It also claims it’s expanded the function and number of safety systems, but seeing as to how these are often cost optional equipment here in Singapore, we’ll leave a detailed analysis of those until the local launch of the car. 

The design update sees the headlights gain the new arrow-like LED light signature, unlike the previous model’s dual-lines, and the air intakes are more streamlined and aggressive, while the taillights become more triangular. All of these closely resemble more recent Mercedes models, the A-Class Saloon is a great example. 

Note that the model shown here is the AMG Line version, there will be Exclusive and Avantgarde trims offered as well. The facelift measures will also be extended to the Estate (wagon), Coupe, Cabriolet, and a new All-Terrain model (likely not coming to Singapore). 

The interior layout looks largely the same, the E-Class was one of the first Benzes to gain the dual 12.3-inch widescreen cockpit after the S-Class and it remains here, but it’s now improved to the new-gen MBUX infotainment system.

That means one touchscreen for infotainment and one an active driver’s instrument display, there’s also a square touchpad, and voice control.

There’s also a new steering wheel which has capacitative ‘swipe-able’ touch buttons (the existing ones, like on the current C-Class, are optical switches).

Another addition are the ‘Energising’ programmes which include massage and wellness functions (if your car has the right equipment). An interesting feature for plug-in hybrid models is the PowerNap feature, which presumably lets you take a nap with the AC on.

One feature the E-Class has nabbed from Tesla is its own version of Tesla’s Sentry Mode. Mercedes calls this Urban Guard, that allows ‘all-round monitoring of the parked vehicle’ and it can detect if your car has been bumped, towed or if someone is trying to get into the car. You can also track your car’s location if it’s been moved. 

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrt2UlFKp84[/embedyt]

Above, we drive the Model 3 in Singapore and show you why a Tesla is a car like no other, and more like a computer on wheels than anything else

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Mercedes says the regular, non-AMG petrol engine lineup will span from 154hp to 362hp.

That doesn’t seem to say much but we bet the E-Class will follow the C-Class in terms of powertrain: The base E 180 model with 154hp is likely to remain gasoline-only, although it may receive the new 1.5-litre engine instead of the older 1.6 in the C 180.

The E 200 will gain the new M 254 engine that’s paired with an electric motor (20hp/180Nm) for mild hybrid capability – we’ve tested this setup on the C 200 sedan in Singapore already, and been quite impressed.

Above that will be the E 300 with a 2.0-litre engine, though it’s not confirmed if it will also be a mild hybrid, but that’s quite likely. At the fat end, the E 450 will be the 362hp model, the most powerful non-AMG E-Class.

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er0qgbfKs9o[/embedyt]

How does mild hybrid tech work with the classic Mercedes experience in Singapore? Watch our review of the C 200 sedan above to find out

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As for details on plug-ins variants, Mercedes says there will be seven PHEVs in the E-Class range covering the Saloon and Estate models. That probably means two models for the sedan essentially, with the rest being Estate, all-wheel drive and/or All-Terrain variants. We can definitely count on the facelifted version of the E 350e plug-in, and perhaps one less-powerful variant. 

For now the most powerful version of the new E-Class is the Mercedes-AMG E 53 model. A 3.0-litre turbo inline six from the latest-gen of engines powers the car, with 435hp and 520Nm of torque. There’s also an electric turbo to minimise low-end lag, and mild-hybrid motor with 21hp/250Nm, all channeled through the 4Matic all-wheel drive system. We expect it to behave very similarly to the excellent CLS 53. 

While all this high tech in one of Mercedes’ more old-school products might seem out of place, remember that when the current E-Class debuted in 2016, it brought many tech changes that would later be seen on smaller Mercedes models, such as the A-Class and C-Class, including automatic parking and driver-minded self-driving on the highway. 

What’s the current E-Class line-up like? We’ve tested it extensively both abroad and in Singapore, read on to find out: