New Mercedes E range proves a classy drive
Mercedes-Benz’ new E-Class sedan is now on sale in New Zealand. Rob Maetzig heads to Australia to experience what’s special about this latest luxury product
Next time a howling westerly wind blasts itself across the lower North Island, we want to drive the Foxton straights in a Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
That’s because included in the wealth of electronic safety and driver aids aboard this German luxury sedan is a thing called Crosswind Assist, which electronically judges when the car is being buffeted by strong side winds and uses the brakes to help maintain a straight line.
The Australasian media launch of the new vehicle has just been held in mid-winter conditions in inland Victoria, where journalists were able to experience many other on-board aids in wet and frigid conditions – but no wind. Seems like it’s going to have to be left to New Zealand as the country in which to try out that particular weather.
We can’t wait. The new W213 series E-Class is claimed by its maker to be among the most intelligent Mercedes-Benz models yet built, and we believe it. The model features the world premiere of a number of technical innovations, and they combine forces to make the car one of the outstanding new arrivals of 2016.
The E-Class has a tradition of class and innovation – that explains why more than 14 million of them have been sold worldwide in a career that has seen the E move from back to front in the vehicle’s badging nomenclature.
At launch, the new W213 series E-Class is available in three engine variants, a $99,900 E200, $102,900 E220d, and $146,300 E350d. Later in the year these cars will be joined by E300 and E400 4Matic models, priced at $119,900 and $149,900.
The entry E200 model is powered by a 2.0-litre four cylinder petrol engine that develops 135kW of power and 300Nm of torque, while the E220d entry level diesel features an all-new 2.0-litre four cylinder turbocharged diesel which produces 143kW and 400Nm while offering a combined fuel consumption figure of 4.1 L/100km.
Completing the lineup at launch is the E350d which is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel which produces 190kW and 620Nm.
Only the E200 and E220d models were available to drive at the Australasian media event, and it was dominated by the excellence of the new four cylinder diesel engine. Said to cost close to €3 billion
(NZ$4.67b) to develop, it is more compact and 17 per cent lighter than the 2.2-litre turbo diesel it replaces, yet its maximum power has been increased by 18 kilowatts to 143kW while torque remains the same at 400 newton metres.
Its efficiency is via a large number of innovations including use of aluminium for the cylinder head and crankcase, development of a new surface coating that reduces the friction between the cylinder surfaces and the steel pistons, and the use of new injectors that operate at an astonishing 2050 bar – that’s 30,000 psi in the old measurements.
This new engine is very quiet and very smooth with none of the vibrations often associated with diesel engines, and it combines nicely with a new nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic transmission that is fitted to all the E-Class models. The auto boasts fast gear changes which in turn allows lower engine revs, which in the case of the E200d results in the low engine noise levels and improved average fuel consumption – the previous diesel’s average was 4.9 L/100km, while this one averages 4.1. In Europe the official average is even lower at 3.9 L/100km.
The entry level E200’s turbocharged petrol engine is the same as that aboard the entry C-Class model, the C200, and it also operates well, particularly now that it is mated to the nine-speed automatic. The car can scoot to 100kmh in 7.7 seconds, and its average fuel consumption is 6.4 L/100km. Those are sound figures – it’s just that they are shaded by the 7.3 second time, and the lower fuel consumption, able to be achieved with the new diesel.
Both the E200 and E220d come with steel suspension, the setup offering selective damping. While it provides a high level of ride comfort, it can be improved considerably by optioning in a multichamber air suspension system called Air Body Control, which costs $3900.
The system has three chambers of different sizes in the spring struts of the rear axle and two in the spring struts of the front axle, and this makes it possible to control in three stages how stiffly the suspension reacts. The system also automatically controls ride height depending on the vehicle’s speed, and ground clearance can also be increased by the driver at the touch of a button when driving on such surfaces as rough access roads.
There’s also a Dynamic Select switch that enables the driver to select any of four Air Body Control modes – Comfort, Eco, Sport and Sport+ – and there’s an additional Individual option that allows the driver to configure the E-Class to suit.
Some of the vehicles available to drive at the media event were fitted with the air suspension, and they offered a superb drive – quiet and secure. The feature is standard aboard all the other E-Class models, which means they will all offer outstanding dynamics.
The new E-Class is larger than the model it replaces. Its wheelbase has grown by 65mm, and track is up 20mm at the front and 7mm at the rear. It’s a smooth-looking sedan, with an interior that is spacious and comfortable, and featuring what has to rate as one of best driver environments around.
The car has two high-resolution displays, which beneath their shared glass cover offer a wide-screen feel. The driver can choose between three different styles for the instrument cluster – Classic, Sport and Progressive – and because the entire cockpit is fully digital, the driver is free to configure it to suit personal tastes.
The steering wheel has smartphone-like touch-sensitive controls that respond to horizontal and vertical swiping movements, which allows the driver to control the entire infotainment system using finger swipes without having to take hands off the steering wheel.
A day’s motoring in the Victorian hinterland quickly underlined the fact that behind all the technology that’s currently receiving the media attention, there is a classy and capable sedan that unobtrusively uses it all to make motoring life easier for those aboard.
And isn’t that what modern luxury motoring should be all about? Now – where’s that howling westerly wind....