Mercedes reveals upgraded E-Class, gets a hybrid option

Leading German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has lent a midlife upgrade to the E-Class wagon and sedan range. The car has been revealed online after the company scrapped its Geneva launch. The E-Class gets new 'mojave silver', 'graphite grey metallic', and 'high-tech silver' paint schemes. 

The E-Class badge was first used by Mercedes-Benz in 1993. The E-Class has since received four-generation upgrades.

The cabin of the upgraded E-Class comes in 'aluminium with a carbon grain', 'burr walnut fondant', 'open-pore silver ash wood', and ‘brushed aluminium' trims. The car has an 'adaptive driver's seat' which repositions according to the height of the driver. The E-Class now gets a redesigned steering wheel. Two 10.25-inch touchscreens, one for infotainment and other a fully digital instrument cluster, dominates the dashboard. Two 12.3-inch units are available as an option.

Other features of the new E-Class include augmented reality satellite navigation which overlays the camera footage along with directional arrows. Mercedes-Benz has equipped the car with what it calls an ‘Energizing’ program which teaches the driver about a better driving posture. Pedestrian and cyclist detection comes as standard in the E-Class facelift.

The Stuttgart-headquartered company has not revealed the engine specifications. The E-Class facelift, however, is expected to have a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) unit with both the diesel and petrol engines. The entry-level, 4-cylinder M254 engine will get a second-generation 48V electrical system which includes an energy recovery function and a mechanism for decoupling the motor while going downhill. 

Upgraded safety features will include a ‘capacitive’ lane-keeping feature which uses the sensor pads for checking whether the driver has his/her hands placed on the steering, rather than requiring it to move at a regular interval. The new E-Class also comes with a system that matches the car’s speed with the traffic and terrain data received from the cameras.

The updated E-Class is expected to be available in the Australian market from October, following the car’s European launch. The convertible and coupe versions will follow later. The E-Class, at present, is sold only in its wagon/estate avatar. The car has been a segment leader in Australia with a 43 percent market share, followed by the BMW 5 Series (33.4 percent).

Also read: Mercedes-Benz to debut three plug-in hybrid models in March 2020