The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class arrives

With new, efficient engines, new assistance systems and a new design idiom, Mercedes-Benz has comprehensively modernised the E-Class and as such is extending its leading position in the luxury segment even further.

In both the Saloon and Estate models, no less than eleven new or optimised assistance systems celebrate their world premiere. They combine a host of comfort and safety features, all of which Mercedes-Benz refers to as "intelligent drive". They include systems which for the first time can help to prevent accidents with crossing vehicles or pedestrians, active Lane Keeping Assist which can help to prevent accidents with oncoming traffic, or anti-glare permanent high-beam headlamps.

As such Mercedes-Benz is underscoring its leading position as a safety pioneer. The new E-Class makes a significant step forward when it comes to efficiency and ecology too. This comes courtesy of new, powerful BlueDIRECT four-cylinder petrol engines featuring sophisticated direct injection technology. This powerful development boost is reflected to exciting effect in the design of the E-Class. Along with its new design, it encapsulates efficiency, intelligence and emotional appeal in a visually superior manner.

Both the E-Class Saloon and Estate are available with a particularly broad range of powerful and efficient petrol and diesel engines. All are fitted with the ECO start/stop function and are highly efficient.

A new element is the expansion of the BlueDIRECT petrol engine family with the addition of a four-cylinder petrol engine with spray-guided direct injection, based on the same trend-setting technology used in the latest generation of six and eight-cylinder engines from Mercedes-Benz. Its technology package includes fast-acting piezo injectors for multiple injection, quick multi-spark ignition, turbocharging, fully variable camshaft adjustment on the inlet and exhaust side, as well as a controlled oil pump.

New developments for the four-cylinder engine include the first dynamic balancer with full anti-friction bearings to be used in a petrol engine as well as a switchable water pump. The engine also sees the world's first use of the stratified lean burn process in combination with exhaust-gas turbocharging and external high-pressure exhaust gas recirculation. As a result the E-Class achieves a combined optimum consumption figure of 5.8 litres per 100 km (corresponding to 135 g/km of CO2), and is therefore the only vehicle in this class to achieve efficiency class A. In addition, the new BlueDIRECT four-cylinder petrol engines already meet the EU6 standard which will apply from 2015.

The E200 Elegance is available at $247,888 (incl. COE)

The E200 Avantgarde is available at $257,888 (incl. COE)

Credits: Words by Mercedes-Benz, Photos by Benjamin G. Kline and Mercedes-Benz