One may have noticed recently that Mercedes-Benz’s upcoming E-Class has been snapped left, right and center by eagle-eyed car paparazzi. These frequent sightings mean development is well advanced and that an official reveal is fairly imminent for Stuttgart’s latest BMW 5-Series-bashing rival.

So with that in mind, let’s take an illustrated closer look at what to expect and the design direction Benz will take.

Ctrl+C Styling:

Don’t let your eyes deceive you when looking at the illustrated image below; it may look like the C-Class, but it isn’t. Mercedes have played it safe with the latest iteration of E-Class, falling somewhere between the elegance of the bigger S-Class and its smaller, sportier C-Class stablemate.

Regardless of copy & paste styling, it wears Benz’s design language a little better than its smaller sibling, with the upper side character line looking less droopy towards the rear, and with better proportions all round.

Elegant Interior:

Again, the car exudes the cabin design ethos of its larger sibling; here the dash is dominated by an large horizontal swathe of textured aluminum or wood, with four circular air vents sitting between the HVAC (heating, ventilation & aircon) controls and upper infotainment screen.

The latter is similar to the twin screen setup in the S-Class; although here it reverts back to twin circular gauges for the speedometer and tachometer. Updates to the rest of the cabin finally bring it into line with the rest of the range, with curvaceous styling, improved space, clever technology and driver assist features. 
What Will Power It:

Mercedes is pursuing greater efficiency across the lineup, and here it’s no different; expect 2.0-litre, four cylinder gasoline and diesel units at entry level. V6s will make way for direct injected petrol and common-rail diesel inline sixes, sending power to the rears (or optional AWD) via an 9-speed automatic.

Performance fans can rejoice that the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 will appear in AMG-guise, available in both sedan and estate/wagon. Meanwhile at the other end of the spectrum, a plug-in hybrid, mated to a four-cylinder petrol will be offered to those whom prioritize fuel economy and low emissions.

Luxury Rivals:

When it comes to pure rivals, two that immediately spring to mind are the BMW 5-series and Audi A6. The former puts an emphasis on driving dynamics and the latter on luxury. The E-class sits more towards the Audi on the luxury scale; however, with the upcoming Mercedes loosing up to 220 pounds by utilizing its modular MRA platform, it could very well become the proverbial thorn in BMW’s back, by having a much more driver-focused chassis.

However, one cannot dismiss other formidable rivals like Jaguar’s new XF, which combines solid driving dynamics with good ride quality and even Cadillac’s CT6.

Expect the E-Class officially emerge soon as a 2017 model, with a public debut at the 2016 Detroit Motor Show.

Share your thoughts on Mercedes-Benz’s updated E-Class in the discussion area below.

By Josh Byrnes

Photo Renderings Copyright Carscoops / Josh Byrnes

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