2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class: Mid-cycle updates

In the automobile industry – and especially in the high-end market – vehicles tend to be refreshed every five or six years. But half-way through the cycle, manufacturers like to update models to keep them competitive. This usually involves some esthetic enhancements and a few technical improvements. At Mercedes, the time has come to breathe some new energy into its E-Class line.

In concrete terms, this means that the sedan, wagon, coupe and convertible should all be revamped within the next few months. The sedan and wagon have already had their turn, and I had the chance to drive them at the official press presentation. These vehicles didn’t just get a beauty treatment; the Stuttgart engineers also added a plethora of new technologies. What is more, these technologies will be available on the E-Class before the brand’s prestigious S-Class.

Two grilles

Right off the bat, we noticed the new light clusters, which now come with LEDs only, marking a first for the category. There’s even a more sophisticated version available on option with multi-directional lighting to help you see the curves in the road. The air intakes have been redesigned and buyers have the choice of two different grilles. The Elegance versions come with the traditional grille featuring several chrome bars that meet in the middle. The signature silver star is mounted on top of the hood. Meanwhile, on the Avant Garde models, the star is embedded in a black circle placed right in the middle of the grille and supported by two chrome bands. The rear section has also been revised, especially the newly designed – and better integrated – bumper. The exhaust tips have also been updated.

If you ask me, the front section looks great on all the models. As for the rear, thumbs up for the wagon, but the sedan’s could be a little more inspired. That said, it’s definitely more dynamic than before.  

Inside, there have been several small improvements, especially on the dashboard which now includes nicer materials. The three circular dials are new and inspired from the CLS. The main gauge includes a display screen with information from the various onboard systems. Incidentally, you should know that the car is Internet-enabled, with several functions that can be controlled via the Web.

Super safe

Mercedes-Benz engineers have developed new passive and active safety systems, all of which fall under the Intelligent Drive label. The most impressive of these are the super-sophisticated PRE SAFE Plus, which flashes the rear lights whenever another vehicle gets too close. The PRE SAFE break with pedestrian recognition can tell when someone gets too close and the driver fails to respond to the alert signal. In all, the new generation E-Class models have been equipped with 11 safety systems. There’s also a host of other gadgets, like a 360-degree camera, parking assist, blind spot assist, etc.

Tons of selection

Since there are so many models to choose from, I thought I’d draw up a list using the information provided by Mercedes-Benz Canada. Here’s the 2014 E-Class line available in Canada:

• E 250 BlueTEC 4MATIC Sedan – mid-September, 2013
• E 300 4MATIC Sedan – mid-April, 2013
• E 350 4MATIC Sedan and Wagon – mid-April, 2013
• E 400 HYBRID Sedan – Available on order as of mid-April
• E 550 4MATIC Sedan – mid-April, 2013
• E 63 AMG 4MATIC Sedan and Wagon – September 2013
• E 63 AMG S 4MATIC Sedan and Wagon – September 2013

An all-new diesel engine has been added to the family. It’s a 2.2L that produces 204 horsepower and 360 lbs.-ft. of torque. However, we have reason to believe that the most popular E-Class vehicle will be the E350, which is powered by a 3.5L V6 with 302 horsepower and 273 lbs.-ft. of torque. Meanwhile, the AMG clan has kept its 5.5L twin-turbo V8, but it’s now more powerful than ever. The regular version now delivers 557 horses (7 more than before) and the S trim generates 577 horses! Despite having all these ponies on its team, this vehicle’s fuel consumption is somewhere around 10.1 L/ 100 km. Not to mention the fact that all AMG E-Class models come with 4Matic all-wheel drive.  

The E-Class demonstrates excellent handling and braking, though the brake pedal can be a little touchy. On corners, however, you realize just how big – and how heavy – this vehicle is. The soundproofing is exemplary and the front seats are deliciously comfortable. In contrast, the controls are not always intuitive and the various sophisticated systems will have you flipping back to the owner’s manual. Performance varies, depending on the engine you choose, but fuel economy is very good on all trims. All E-Class drivetrains include a seven-speed automatic transmission.

When we tested the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the model that won our hearts was the AMG 63. It has everything it takes to go down in the history books as a great. It’s more elegant than the sedan, hugs the road with conviction, maintains its stability on high-speed straightaways, sprints from 0-100 km/h in 4.0 seconds and comes factory-standard with 4Matic all-wheel drive. What more is there to say? Oh, yeah! It’s extremely practical, too.