Mercedes-Benz and BMW are both replacing their hugely important midsize sedans this year, and it’s Benz that has blinked first. Here is the 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, unveiled in European specification months before we’ll get the chance to see its opposite number from Munich, the BMW 5-Series.
Multiple spy shots had primed us for a car that sticks to its traditional sedan (and wagon) guns in the face of a crossover revolution. Visually, it borrows heavily from its S-Class big brother, not only in the overall surfacing, but with details like the flush door handles and the strong horizontal chrome-trimmed line stretching across the trunk lid between the taillights.
But the slightly more compact form gives it something approaching the athleticism of the smaller C-Class, while a new piano black grille surround at the front and three-pointed star motif in the rear lights ensures the E-Class won’t be mistaken for either of those cars. Depending on the trim you’ve chosen the grille will be what Mercedes class ‘Progressive’ meaning it feature dozens of tiny stars, or ‘Classic’ which is a familiar conservative Daimler slatted grille.
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Climb inside, and the experience definitely has more in common with the S-Class than the baby C-Class. For a start, the wheelbase has been stretched by just under an inch (22 mm) to 117-inches (2,961 mm), liberating more space in a car that now measures a substantial 195-inches (4949 mm) nose to tail. Kneeroom and maximum legroom are increased by 10 and 17 millimetres respectively and Mercedes says the additional inch (25 mm) of rear elbow room means there’s almost as much room to spread out as in a large luxury car.
Screens, Apps And Selfies
But when it comes to the dashboard, gauge cluster and infotainment screen the new E-Class has more in common with its electric EQE and EQS cousins than its combustion-powered brothers. As standard the E-Class comes with free-standing digital instrument display and an MBUX media screen integrated into the dashboard. But that dash screen can be optionally expanded to include a passenger display above the glovebox.
Like many automakers, Mercedes believes that connectivity and the ability to bring streamed content and social media activity into the car is the next frontier, so there’s a selfie camera and access to apps and games like TikTok and Angry Birds, plus the ability to stream video. But a face monitoring system will deactivate video content being streamed to the passenger screen if it detects the driver is spending too long not looking at the road.
Hybrid Power, But Only One Inline Six
Mercedes says a new, very powerful single processor does the job that would have been carried out by multiple bits of hardware before, making the entire electrical system faster. But what about the stuff that used to matter in cars? The hardware under the hood? In the case of the European lineup it’s entirely electrified. Though there is no fully-electric E-Class – you’ll have to check out the unrelated EQE if you want one of those – every engine has some kind of hybrid assistance, and half of the engines are plug-in hybrids.
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At the bottom end of the range there’s the 201 hp (204 PS) rear-wheel drive E200 petrol, and its diesel opposite number, the 194 hp (197 PS) E200d, which is available in either rear-, or 4Matic all-wheel drove configurations. All three will reach 62 mph (100 kmh) in 7.8 seconds or less and top 145 mph (238 kmh) with the help of an integrated starter generator whose output has been boosted from 15 kW (20 hp / 20 PS) to 17 kW ( 23 hp / 23 PS).
The plug-in models available at launch in Europe are all 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engines mated to 95 kW (127 hp /129 PS) electric motors that can deliver up to 62 mph (100 km) of electric driving range. Those cars are the 308 hp (313 PS) E300e and E300e 4Matic, which take the E200 and add a big electric motor, and the 376 hp (381 PS) E400e 4Matic. The E400e is the fastest of the Euro launch cars and can reach 62 mph in 5.3 seconds, though AMG versions released later this year will inevitably leave the 400e for dead.
North American Lineup
Things are a little different, and a little simpler when it comes to U.S. examples of the E-Class. The lineup consists of two mild-hybrids: the four-cylinder E350 and six-cylinder E450. The E350 makes 255 hp (259 PS) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm), and the E350 summons 375 hp (380 PS) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm), before you’ve added the MHEV‘s 20-horse boost to each car. Initially, at least, North American buyers won’t be offered an E-Class with a plug-in drivetrain, though we can’t imagine things will stay that way.
Traditional steel spring suspension is standard on both continents, but for a real luxury experience buyers will want to splash out on the optional air-ride setup. The available Technology Pack bundles the air suspension upgrade with adaptive damping and rear axle steering that can give the E-Class the turning circle of a subcompact.
Merc’s new 5-Series-fighter goes on sale later this year, but prices have not been announced. Do you think it moves the mid-size premium sedan game on, and should BMW and its upcoming new 5-Series be worried? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.
