BARCELONA – Along with a radical restyle, the arrival of the updated Mercedes-Benz E-Class brings with it a powerful new petrol engine that proves to be a smooth operator in the new car.
While the styling has largely become the main talking point of the updated E-Class, it’s the inclusion of an all-new V6-engined model that’s likely to draw considerable interest when the first examples arrive on the local market during the course of June this year. The E400 BlueEfficiency will effectively occupy the berths previously held by the E300 and E350, which will fall away from the local E-Class line-up. So, how does it fare in this regard?
The engine
The E400 draws its power from a biturbo 3,0-litre V6 engine featuring direct fuel injection and camshaft adjustment. With outputs of 245 kW at 5 500 r/min and a healthy 480 N.m of torque spanning a broad 1 500 to 4 000 r/min, the new engine is appreciably brawnier than the 225 kW/370 N.m E350 that previously sat at the top of the V6 E-Class pile. Mercedes claims a 0-100 km/h time of 5,3 seconds (roughly a second faster than the E350) and a top speed of 250 km/h.
That low-end torque, along with a seven-speed automatic transmission that’s well suited to the powerplant, proves a perfect foil to the long pedal travel and slight hesitancy under quick, hard acceleration that tended to afflict the previous V6s. In terms of refinement, the new unit is impressive, with scarcely a murmur of engine noise permeating the cabin even at higher speeds. Thankfully, it’s not devoid of character and still emits a muted but satisfying snarl when the throttle is planted.
How does it drive?
Supplementing the livelier powertrain, the car we drove on the launch was also equipped with Mercedes’s Direct-Steer – an uprated version of the standard car’s electrically assisted system that modulates steering weight between fingertip-twirling lightness at low speeds (i.e. parking and round-town pottering) and a heavier tiller once the pace picks up. The former proves welcome when docking the E-Class into a tight parking spot, but the additional weighting at speed does little to disguise the artificial feel that often accompanies electrically assisted steering systems. Despite the lack of natural feedback, this system is still precise and responsive to driver input.
While the E-Class isn’t a dullard in the handling stakes, its forte remains the ability to iron out all but the very worst road corrugations. All of the models bound for the local market feature an adaptive suspension setup that proves pliant yet resistant enough to body roll so as not to become wallowy.
Smart safety features
The new E-Class can be specified with a broad range of active safety systems that are overseen by a combination of camera and radar-based sensors. These range from autonomous braking systems designed to avert potential car- or pedestrian-related collisions, a lane-keeping assistant that uses audio-visual cues, as well as selective braking, to keep you on the correct line and adaptive headlamps that mask oncoming traffic from the high-beam light cone.
That styling
Like many of Mercedes’s contemporary designs, the E-Class’s radical restyle is something of a mixed bag. There’s a more rounded, almost organic feel to the car that contrasts to the outgoing model’s sharp-edged, panzer-like styling. The most prominent change is the adoption of single-piece headlamp units, all of which feature dual arrow-shaped LED inlays to hint at the previous model’s quad-light arrangement. It’s a rather trim- and colour-dependent design with darker hues generally working better. The face of the Elegance-line models sees such old-school Mercedes styling cues as the chrome-louvered grill and three-pointed star on the bonnet juxtaposed with aggressive headlamps and sharper character lines. Generally, the Avantgarde model’s sportier dual-vane grille and more purposeful front apron meld better with the overall design. In both cases, the rear looks broader and more purposeful, aided in no small measure by revised taillamps.
Inside the changes are less sweeping, with some additional brightwork and new trim options. It does, however, remain a well-built, conservative-yet-classy place to while away the miles.
The verdict
In all, the E-Class remains a consummate cruiser with enough in the way of restrained luxury, safety and cosseting demeanour to make it one of those rare cars in which you can drive for six hours, get out and say, “right, what’s next?” In the E400 it’s a refresh that’s taken an already impressive formula set by its V6 predecessors and further refined it to make the E-Class more universally appealing. It should prove a popular choice when it arrives in South Africa in June this year.
Specifications*
Model: Mercedes-Benz E400 BlueEfficiency
Engine: 3,0-litre, V6, biturbo-petrol
Power: 245 kW at 5 500 r/min
Torque: 480 N.m between 1 500 and 4 000 r/min
0-100 km/h: 5,3 seconds
Fuel consumption: 7,5 L/100 km
CO2: 175 g/km
Top speed: 250 km/h
Price: TBA
Maintenance plan: 6 years/100 000 km
*All manufacturer figures
