All variants of the new E-Class now feature 2.0-litre engines that come with MHEV or PHEV electrification tech.

Photos: Mercedes-Benz

STUTTGART, GERMANY

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the all-new 6th-generation E-Class saloon, set to go on sale in Europe sometime in the second half of 2023.

It’s been nearly 7 years since the 5th-generation W213 E-Class first emerged on our shores and a little over 2 years since it received a facelift. The E-Class has traditionally been the last model among Mercedes’ more popular saloons – the S-Class and C-Class – to be revealed, and this generation is no different. 

Throughout its illustrious history, the E-Class and its predecessors have proved hugely popular among buyers, with Mercedes claiming that they have sold over 16 million units of “upper mid-range” vehicles since 1946. However, in more recent generations, the Mercedes E-Class is positioned to provide buyers with a middle-ground alternative between the larger Sonderklasse and the more compact C-Class.

At launch, 6 variants of the new W214 E-Class will be made available with both diesel and petrol powertrains. It’s worth noting that all variants of the new E-Class will utilise MHEV 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines – including the diesel-powered E200d and E200d 4MATIC, both of which are unlikely to make their way to Singapore.

Of the 4 petrol models announced, three will be PHEV vehicles that feature an electric motor which produces 129hp/440Nm and a 25.4kWh battery pack. Here’s a simplified breakdown of the petrol-powered E-Class models that have been revealed;

While we have no details of the full-fat E63 AMG, we’d deduce that it’ll use a tuned version of Mercedes’s inline-6 engine mated to an electric motor, similar to the PHEV system in the latest C63 AMG. Considering how the new C63 has a massive 170 horsepower bump over the previous C63, the new PHEV E63’s total system output would most likely eclipse that of the outgoing E63 S 4MATIC+.

As with prior generations of the venerable E-Class, the W214 generation car borrows design cues from both the S-Class and C-Class. However, in this instance, the car also draws elements from the Mercedes-EQ range of vehicles. Namely, the EQS and the EQE.

The silhouette of the car is largely similar to that of Merc’s other saloons, while the front and rear fascia of the E-Class draws elements from its stablemates. The front grille is set into a “black panel” surface that is connected to the headlamps, reminiscent of the EQE sedan. Buyers do have the option of fitting an illuminated grille (in both the Exclusive Line and AMG Line specifications) with optical fibres inlaid in the chrome fixtures.

Round the black, a chrome strip spans the width of the car along the bootlid and there are star design elements in the taillamp, intended to emulate Mercedes’ three-pointed star logo.

Just like the exterior, the interior of the E-Class bridges the gap between the W206 C-Class and the W223 S-Class’s cabins. Ahead of the driver sits a more conventional instrument panel as you’d find in the W206 C-Class or the W223 S-Class. However, one could option their E-Class with an MBUX Superscreen – which is a derivative of the Hyperscreen (sans instrument panel) à la EQS and EQE. 

Like most of the modern Mercedes model range, the interior also has an abundance of active ambient lighting strips. There are also plenty of other upgrades and tech features in the cabin such as a dashboard-mounted selfie camera that can be used for conference call apps, or electronically adjustable THERMOTRONIC climate control vents (that can still be adjusted manually).

Here in Singapore, we could expect to see the Mercedes-Benz E200 and E330e/E300e 4MATIC go on sale. However, pricing details have yet to be revealed, so watch this space.

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