A slew of official photos of Mercedes-Benz’s all-new 2017 E-Class sedan have surfaced online, a week ahead of the car’s scheduled world premiere at the Detroit Auto Show on January 11.
The pictures come courtesy of Germany’s Auto-Press that adds new details about the next iteration of the E-Class, codenamed W213.
According to the source, the executive sedan from Stuttgart that adopts Merc’s new and lighter modular MRA platform shared with the latest C-Class and S-Class models rides on a 65mm (2.6 inches) longer wheelbase at 2,939mm (115.3 inches) with the overall length stretched by 43mm (1.7 inches) to 4,923mm (193.8 inches).
We also learn that the E-Class’s restyled body that splits the difference between the sportier and smaller C-Class and the more posh and bigger E-Class boasts a very low drag-coefficient of 0.23.
The interior has already been officially previewed by Mercedes through a number of shots, with key highlights including the availability of a fully digital instrument panel with tech borrowed from the S-Class on upper-end models, and the use of analogue instruments on entry and (possibly) mid-level versions, with both featuring a large screen for the infotainment system.
The next generation E-Class will offer three additional suspension choices beyond the standard setup, including a 15mm lowered suspension for Avantgarde models, a 15mm lowered and stiffer sports suspension with adaptive dampers, and an optional air suspension with electronically controlled adjustable damping.
In Europe, the luxury saloon will launch as the E200 with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four gasoline unit and the E220d with a newly developed 2.0-liter turbo four diesel producing 195PS (192hp) and returning a combined fuel consumption of 3.9l/100km (60.3 mpg US or 72.4mpg UK). Additional turbocharged four-cylinder and six-cylinder units will be added to the range, as will the plug-in hybrid E350e combining a 2.0L four with an electric motor delivering 279PS (275hp) and the flagship AMG variants with a re-worked 4.0L twin-turbo V8 pushing around 600hp, during the course of 2016.
Besides the AMG, all other models will be offered with Merc’s nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic transmission, while select engines will be available with all-wheel drive.