Mercedes Shows The World How It's Done
When the all-new E-Class lineup debuted, there was a collective 'gasp' from the world's other auto-makers.
You get that with Mercedes-Benz - the company normally sets the trends for the rest of the world to follow.
But it's a sign of the post-GFC times that - stunning though the new E-Class is - Mercedes-Benz Australia lopped the prices of many all-new E-Class models.
That was good business, but don't for one second think the German giant short-changed anything about its new mid-size sedan…Mr 5-Series and Mr A6 need to be very sharp when their all-new lineups appear.
What You Get
The folk at Mercedes-Benz handed Car Showroom the keys to a mid-spec E350 with the V6 petrol engine and 'Elegance' specification package. This is the ninth generation E-Class and, in styling terms, 'Benz has pushed the boat out a little more than usual.
The V6 E350 (petrol and diesel) and E500 V8 engines are carried-over from the previous generation E-Class (but improved).
As usual, styling, safety, technology and performance are the hallmarks of this all-new 'Benz and - typically Mercedes - the engineering and quality is first class. In fact R&D testing covered 34 million kilometers - that's 850 times around the Equator or 88 trips from the Earth to the Moon.
Under The Hood
The E350 is powered by the superb 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine that delivers 200kW of power and a silky 350Nm of torque. 'Benz engineers have delivered a slight improvement in fuel consumption - now down to 9.4/100kms.
New for the latest E-Class is the four-cylinder E250CGI petrol and two new diesels - the E220CDI and E 250CDI.
Our E350 drove the rear wheels via Mercedes' superb seven-speed automatic transmission - the 7G-TRONIC.
The Interior
With its 'Elegance' specification grade, our test car came fitted with burr walnut trim and fibre optic ambient lighting which added a stylish look to the footwells and door trims at night.
Also fitted to the vehicle we tested was the optional multi-countour front seats with individual inflatable air cushions that provide extra support for your lower back and sides. Combine that with electronic adjustment for the seats and steering wheel and a perfect driving position isn't far away.
The 7G-TRONIC transmission has a steering column-mounted selector lever which operates electronically with a simple click to select Drive, Reverse or Neutral and a push-button to select Park.
As with the S-Class, the Infotainment system is operated by the multifunction steering wheel, the center tunnel Controller, the dashboard-mounted colour screen and direct selection buttons. The Controller provides all functions of the radio, CD/DVD, telephone and navigation system at the fingertips of the driver and front seat passenger.
The standard system is a nation-wide hard disc navigation system, a DVD changer, Music Register (storage for 1,000 tracks) and voice control. A media interface for connecting internal MP3 players is standard.
Exterior & Styling
We're huge fans of the new E-Class' styling. 'Benz has taken the classic cues of its mid-class sedans and given them an all-round modern and downright muscular appearance - for example the classic twin headlights are no longer round.
It's also very aerodynamic - Mercedes' says the drag co-efficient is 0.25 (same as the Toyota Prius and better than the 5-Series and A6).
The large, upright Mercedes' radiator grille emphasis the arrow-shaped narrow front-end.
Likewise at the rear which is steeply countoured and modern. It's all very taut and reminiscent of the 1953 'Ponton Mercedes'.
Our Elegance model rode on 10-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels. Up-spec Avantgarde versions secure five-spoke 18-inch alloys).
On The Road
You know with every Mercedes-Benz you're buying into the very latest the world has to offer in safety features and driver aides. We'd briefly driven the new E-Class before, but now with a week driving this E350, here's a couple of those features which came up every day and are very handy:
Lane Keeping Assist: A windscreen camera detects the road markings and is able to recognize if the car is unintentionally deviating from its lane and alerts the driver with pulsations through the steering wheel.
Blind Spot Assist: A radar-based system warns the driver of the presence of a vehicle in the blindspot of the exterior mirror when changing lanes. If there is another car in the blindspot, the mirror-mounted arrow is coloured red - if you persist and hit the indicator to change lanes, an audible sound further alerts you to the presence of that vehicle.
Over our high speed mountain test roads, the E350 was a delight. For this model, Mercedes' further developed the adaptive shock absorbers which are soft and compliant at low speeds but switch to a firmer setting when the system detects high speed cornering.
While not in the league of the V8 E500, the 200kW/350Nm V6 was nicely responsive and well-matched to the seven-speed auto. Some have said the lighter weight of the V6 provides better chassis balance than the V8-powered E-Class models - we don't entirely endorse those comments but there is no doubt the V6 E350 was very nicely balanced and refined over both rural and city roads.
Challenges
We'll say again that simple three-button steering controls for cruise control (as used by Ford, Mitsubishi and others) are easier and more intuitive than the stalk controls favoured by Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Toyota.
And we reckon the centre tunnel Controller makes driving the navigation system slow and complicated.
Verdict
Historically, the M-B E-Class has been the trendsetter amongst mid-size luxury sedans and there is no doubt the all-new model has done it again. The trademark 'Benz technical brilliance, engineering, safety advances, performance and quality are all there…and now you can throw-in very sharp styling.
On the basis of those contemporary looks (inside and out), we'll score the new E-Class ahead on points at this stage.
The Competition
BMW's 530 is sharply priced and offers the usual BMW driving pleasures - but its appearance and interiors now look a little tired next to the E-Class.
Audi's A6 is a beauty that is sharply priced and the supercharged 3.0l TSFI engine is a world-beater. Overall drive is not as involving as the E-Class (and that's saying something!) and the interior isn't quite as 'Top Shelf'.
Likes
Just as you’d expect – quality, technology, performance, luxury, build quality
Dislikes
Complex Controller operation; cruise control stalk; lots of different derivatives now and for the nest 12 months – check with your M-B dealer for what’s new
