The current Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been on sale since 2010, with 2014 ushering in vehicle a major cosmetic update. Now pictures have emerged on the Internet of what could be the first test mule of the next E-Class, scheduled for 2016/17.
The photos show a C-Class-based, camouflaged test mule sporting a substantially longer wheelbase and wider wheel arches. The test car is also a few centimeters longer than the extended-wheelbase C-Class L that’s been introduced for the Chinese market, suggesting that the mechanicals of the new E-Class are lurking beneath.
The new E-Class will also make use of the company’s modular MRA platform that debuted on the 2015 C-Class, meaning that the next generation should be lighter and more rigid than the current model. The MRA platform makes use of lightweight materials such as aluminium and can accommodate a range of powertrains.
Mercedes’s new nine-speed automatic transmission will likely feature in the next E-Class. This transmission is already doing service in the 2015 CLS-Class and will reportedly be coupled with a new six-cylinder engine. Mercedes plans to share the components and production lines of the new straight-six with smaller four- and three-cylinder engines that it’s also considering.
Though yet to be confirmed, the new E-Class will have a longer wheelbase than the current model. It is also expected to come in five different body styles: sedan, long-wheelbase sedan, station wagon, coupe and convertible.
Early reports have also suggested that the company’s designers will be making the two-door versions of the E-Class more premium than its peers, with the cars being larger and materially more upmarket than the current vehicle. The styling of the new model is said to be sportier and more aerodynamic than the current model, though the dual-lens headlight theme is expected to remain.
– Charlen Raymond
