There’s a new generation E-Class brewing in Mercedes’ kitchen and our spies have caught up with a fresh prototype that does away with the heavy plastic camo.
The car remains covered in foil wraps, but we can now see the shape of the front and rear ends without distraction from the padded faux surfaces found in previous testers, while Mercedes has also grafted on the production models’ fascia with the prominent front grille.
Exterior styling will be influenced by the C-Class and S-Class sedans, with the new E-Class obtaining curvier surfaces and lines than the more angular current model. At the end of last year, our spies had the opportunity to take a glimpse at the luxury sedan’s cabin, which borrows heavily from the bigger S-Class mimicking its center console and dashboard design.
Like the latest C-Class and S-Class, the new E-Class is built on a version of Mercedes’ modular, rear-wheel drive MRA platform, with the pictures suggesting that the sedan will be lower and wider, with shorter overhangs and a longer wheelbase than the W212 series it replaces.
More changes will be found under the hood, as the new running gear will allow Mercedes to offer very efficient plug-in hybrid versions alongside the usual four, six and eight-cylinder turbo engines, including a range topping 4.0-liter bi-turbocharged V8 from the AMG GT for the E63 AMG in a higher state of tune with around 600-horses. A nine-speed automatic transmission will drive the rear or all-four wheels.
The new E-Class sedan is set to arrive in 2016, probably as a 2017MY in North America.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops
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