Saying, “The E-Class is the core of the Mercedes-Benz brand and in the past has repeatedly redefined the standards in the business-class segment. Now it carries this tradition into the future with a wealth of top-class innovations. The new E-Class takes another major step towards fully autonomous driving. In addition, it enhances efficiency, safety and comfort, reduces the stress level when driving and intensifies driving pleasure,” Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, director for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development took the wraps off the 10th iteration of their full-size sedan.
This newest version of the E-Class is bigger, more powerful and more technologically advanced than the previous generation offering a wealth of luxury features as well as such innovations as remote parking through a smart phone app. It also advances the move toward self-driving cars with a feature they call Drive Pilot.
Thanks to Drive Pilot, the E-Class can automatically maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you and also follow the traffic so you don’t have to touch the accelerator, brakes or steering wheel even on moderate bends. Drive Pilot actively steers the car by taking account of surrounding vehicles and parallel structures, even if the lines are unclear or nonexistent, as they can be during road construction, at speeds up to 81 mph. The system therefore makes driving much easier, especially in traffic jams or heavy congestion. It also includes active lane-change assist. This radar-and-camera-based system assists the driver when changing lanes on multi-lane roads and can steer the vehicle into the lane selected by the driver – when overtaking, for example. Once the driver has indicated a turn for at least two seconds, Active lane-change assist assists with steering into the adjacent lane if it detects that the lane is unoccupied.
At launch the 2017 E-Class will feature a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. The power will be effectively and efficiently put to the pavement via a 9-speed automatic transmission. It also offers an optional air suspension with multiple drive modes so you can tune the car from comfort to sport depending on the conditions.
The roomy interior is decked out in high quality leathers, woods and metal surfaces as you would expect from Mercedes. It also includes state of the art touch screen technology and an LED lighting system with the ability to dial in any one of 64 available colors so you can choose the lighting to fit your mood.
Pricing has not been announced for the new E-Class, but we will bring you details and impressions from behind the wheel as we get closer to the summer availability date.