Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps of the fifth-generation E-Class in Detroit providing all the juicy details and some more pictures to bolster those that leaked online last week. Mercedes wants to add cohesion to the design of its sedan lineup, with the new E-Class showing more than a passing resemblance to the smaller C-Class and larger S-Class. Longer, lower and ever-so-slightly narrower than its predecessor, notable similarities with its four-door siblings include the front grille, head- and taillights, the swooping roofline and chiseled body panels.
That added athleticism translates to a class-leading drag coefficient of 0.23, while weight-saving measures see the hood, bootlid and front wings made of sheet and cast aluminum. The 2017 Mercedes E-Class will launch in the US as the E250, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline unit, rated at 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, paired to a 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic box. Europeans will get the choice of a new 2.0-liter diesel rated at 192 hp and 295 lb-ft in the E220d, and a 184-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four in the E200. Eight engines will eventually be rolled out, including a plug-in hybrid and topped by AMG's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 providing up to 580 hp in the Mercedes-AMG E63.
Mercedes has taken the E-Class' cabin seriously upmarket for 2017, the standout feature being a new glass-faced dual-screen dashboard extending from the driver's side to the center console made up of two 12.3-inch monitors. The steering wheel also gets swipe controls, and along with a touchpad sat between the front seats, a rotary dial, and speech recognition, the new Comand infotainment system can be effortlessly and intuitively controlled. The new E-Class comes with three suspension tunes with variable damping control, namely Comfort, Comfort Avantgarde and Sport (the latter two featuring a 15-mm right height reduction), as well as an optional adjustable air suspension.
Comfort is further heightened by a new range of seats providing greater support and more cushioning than before.
It also boasts semi-autonomous tech including a remote-parking system controlled via a smartphone app that allows drivers to get the car in and out of parking spaces from outside the vehicle, and lane-change assist, where the car changes lanes itself after instruction from the driver. Pricing and availability have yet to be announced.
