“Hello, Goodbye” is not only a great song by The Beatles, but it could also be the theme tune for the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class. With it, we say hello to the latest generation of this German luxury cruiser, and goodbye to the dinosaur-juice-burning engine.
The W214, as it’s known internally, is said to be the last Mercedes E-Class built on a newly developed combustion engine platform before the brand goes all-electric. A new look and plenty of tech promise to make this executive express a tasty proposition.
Let’s start with the design. New but still familiar, the latest E continues the general direction of the current Mercedes style book, and combines sleek lines with S-Class feels and cues from the EQ models. Hunkered down and sporting elegant looks, it definitely has a bit of a wow factor to it.
If you don’t like the big Mercedes star in the center of the grille (standard in AMG and Avantgarde trims), then you can order the Exclusive Line and have it replaced by a more classic chrome grille with horizontal struts.
This version also comes with the classic free-standing Mercedes star on the hood. There’s also an option to have either grille version illuminated as part of the daytime running lights.
Gentle power domes on the hood seem like a little farewell to the combustion engine, while the two curved light elements on each side bring back memories of the legendary four-eyed face of the E-Class from days gone by.
LED high-performance headlights come as standard, while the firm’s Digital Light with or without projection technology is available at an additional cost.
Take a closer look at the LED taillights and you’ll notice two Mercedes star graphics on each side that also light up during the day. Standing 4,950mm long and 1,880mm wide with a 2,960mm wheelbase, the W214 has grown slightly and promises more space for its passengers.
There are way too many features and functions fitted to the cabin and the car in general that we could list them all in one single article, so here are just a few of them.
Instead of the huge Hyperscreen that we know from the S-Class, the E gets a slightly smaller but still massive (and optional) Superscreen that consists of a 14.4-inch infotainment screen in the middle and a 12.3-inch display in front of the passenger.
The latter only works when someone is actually sitting in the passenger seat. The driver gets a 12.3-inch digital display, and everything is surrounded by even more prominent ambient light strips that can now also move to the beat of your favorite music.
Those tunes can be enjoyed through an optional Burmester 4D surround-sound system with 21 speakers, Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, and two exciters (tactile transducers) integrated into the backrest of each front seat that enable you to feel the music instead of just listening to it.
On the subject of listening: The car features newly improved voice control that now doesn’t require the “Hey Mercedes” command before it reacts, and uses artificial intelligence to learn what creature comforts its humans use the most, so it can enable them before you even have to ask.
Third-party apps like TikTok and Zoom are now also onboard, and the car even comes with five cameras. One of them is for selfies—for example, during video conferences—and only works if the car is at a standstill.
On the engine front, the new E-Class relies entirely on electrified powerplants, with either 48V mild or plug-in hybrid technology being deployed. When it hits showrooms in the fall of this year, Mercedes will offer the new E exclusively with four-cylinder engines, with the straight-six and diesel plug-in hybrids following soon after.
The engine portfolio includes three mild hybrids (E200, E220d, and E220d 4Matic) that all come with an integrated starter generator, a new battery, and a more powerful electric motor.
Next to them are three plug-in hybrids (E300e, E300e 4Matic, and E400e 4Matic) that all promise over 100km of pure electric range.
Power outputs vary from 197hp in the 220d to a combined 380hp in the E400. The 9G-Tronic transmission comes as standard, while air suspension and rear-axle steering can be ordered as extras.
This being a Merc, there are also more safety systems onboard than you could shake a stick at, with brake assist, lane-keeping assist, parking package, attention assist (detects if the driver is tired), and emergency stop assist being just a few of them.
It can even move the driver or the passenger away from danger if it detects an impending side impact by rapidly inflating air chambers at the sides of the front seats.
The new E-Class can be ordered in Europe from summer 2023 onward, and prices have not yet been confirmed, but will likely sit just a little above the current model.
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