E-Class steals show
IT MAY be an American event but the star of this year’s Detroit motor show is almost certainly Germany’s new Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Inheriting technology and sophistication from the flagship SClass range, Merc’s tenth-generation E-Class is a leap into the future and dubbed by its makers as the world’s most intelligent business saloon.
Pitched against the likes of the Audi A6 and BMW 5-Series, the new E is brimming with smart technology that saves bad drivers from themselves, with standard safety that includes Active Brake Assist which applies the brakes when an impending collision is sensed, while Attention Assist warns the driver of inattentiveness or drowsiness.
These are complemented by the new Drive Pilot, Merc’s next step along the road to a car that can drive itself.
To ease the driver’s workload in heavy traffic the E-Class is able to automatically maintain a safe following distance, stay in its lane, and also steer itself in moderate bends. The vehicle automatically maintains the speed limit, and the smart system can keep the car in its lane even if road markings are unclear or non-existent, like at road works.
The new Active Lane Change Assist is a further development of Mercedes’ existing Active Blind Spot Assist which warns of any vehicles in the blind spot when changing lanes, and if necessary automatically steers the vehicle back into its lane.
With Active Lane Change Assist the car changes lanes completely automonously; all the driver has to do is activate the turn indicator for more than two seconds and the vehicle changes lanes automatically once sensors have detected there are no vehicles in the blind spot.
Evasive Steering Assist counteracts panic-steering during emergency swerving manoeuvres, adding precisely calculated steering torque to help the driver avoid a road hazard in a controlled manner.
Remote Parking Pilot allows
the car to be moved into and out of garages and parking spaces remotely using a smartphone app, a handy feature in tight parking spaces.
Car-to-X communication allows the vehicle to share information about road conditions with other cars. A further development of the live traffic alerts on satnav systems, the cellphone-supported technology allows the driver to “see around corners” or “through obstacles” well in advance – such as a broken down vehicle in the road – with information received from other cars ahead.
The driver’s smartphone can also be used as a vehicle key, using near field communication (NFC).
Packaging all this smart tech is a slightly larger and roomier sedan than the outgoing E-Class, in a fresher coupé-like design that borrows styling cues from both the SClass and the smaller C-Class.
The base version and Exclusive line feature the classic Mercedes radiator grille with the star on the bonnet, while Avantgarde and AMG versions get sports radiator grilles with a large Mercedes star as the centrepiece. Optionally available are new rear lights with a ‘stardust’ effect reminiscent of the Milky Way or the glow of a jet engine.
The ultra-luxurious and techno-- intensive interior takes its cues from the S-Class, cosseting occupants with high quality materials and new-generation infotainment. Along with a super-sized high-resolution display in the centre of the dash, a wide-screen instrument cluster offers the driver the choice of three different views.
An all-new infotainment generation is making its debut in the EClass. It includes touch-sensitive Touch Control Buttons on the steering wheel and the ability for mobile phones to be wirelessly charged on a pad in the centre console – with no need for cables or a telephone holder. There is also the option of a holder for a tablet PC for the rear passengers.
The new E-Class rides on steel suspension with selective damping, or optionally on air suspension which automatically softens and stiffens to react to various driving conditions.
Two four-cylinder engine derivatives are initially available: the E200 with a 2-litre turbopetrol producing outputs of 135kW and 300Nm, and a 2.0 turbodiesel wielding 143kW/400Nm.
They will be joined later by sixcylinder variants including the E350d with a 190kW/630Nm 3-litre turbodiesel, the E350e petrol-electric hybrid (205kW/600Nm), and the petrol turbo E400 (245kW/480Nm).
An E450 AMG will be added to the range late this year, to be followed by a fire-breathing E63 AMG version at a later stage.
All models feed their silky power through a new 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic transmission, and all come in rear-wheel drive except for the all-wheel-drive E400.
A highlight (‘scuse the pun) of the new E-Class is Multibeam LED headlight technology, with each headlight unit comprising 84 individually-controlled LEDs, which allows the high beams to be left permanently on without bothering other drivers.
Expect the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class in South Africa around the middle of this year.