Mercedes moves into new terrain

WITH the E-Class AllTerrain, Mercedes finally enters the market segment for executive estates with 4WD capability and SUV-style looks.

If you’re in the market for a premium-branded load-lugger with light off-piste capability, this could be exactly what you’re looking for.

Mercedes usually isn’t slow to enter new market niches, but there are exceptions to that rule. For example, the brand couldn’t offer you a mid-sized SUV until the GLC model was launched in the spring of 2016. And, for people buying in that car’s segment who need light off-road capability but don’t want an SUV, they’ve never provided a contender to take on Audi’s A6 all-road. The Audi has direct competition now though, in the shape of this car, the E-Class All-Terrain.

As with the A6 allroad, the formula here is pretty straightforward. Take an E-Class Estate, give it a few visual SUV-style aesthetic cues and add in an air suspension system that can lift the ride height and make rutted tracks easily passable.

A car of this kind needs air suspension to be able to lift it clear of road obstacles and it’s only been since the launch in 2016 of the tenth generation E-Class model that the Stuttgart brand has had a system sophisticated enough to provide that kind of capability — the air body control suspension set-up.

The styling of a car like this must be subtle in its “SUV”-ness. At the front, there is a two-fin grille with the Mercedes star integrated in the centre, as you’d get in a GLC.

The distinctive front bumper and lower panelling, electroplated in silver-chrome, also contribute to the robust look.

The interior includes aluminiumcarbon look trim that is exclusive to the All-Terrain, plus stainless steel sports pedals and floor mats with All-Terrain lettering. You also get a loading capacity of between 670-1820-litres, which makes this load compartment one of the biggest in the segment.

The E-Class All-Terrain Estate costs just under £60,000 in its sole E350d guise.

Equipment levels i nclude a Burmester surround sound system, air body control air suspension, a panoramic electric sunroof and the command online system.

There’s also the brand’s clever “Mercedes me connect” remote online services package. This allows you to monitor many aspects of your car from your PC or smartphone — almost everything in fact, from its tyre pressure to its washer fluid level.