The 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is welcoming a new generation, and with 77 years of history and 16 million units sold worldwide, the stakes are high. The new E-Class has an all-new design and is packed with powertrain upgrades along with lots of new tech, safety, and luxury features.
The overhauled exterior and interior design mixes the styling language from the current Mercedes-Benz portfolio with classic Mercedes vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz EQE inspired the black panel-like surface that combines the radiator grille with the headlamps, for example.
The taillights came from the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but the automaker gave it a different treatment with the brand’s three-point star logo that’s embedded within the lights.
The new E-Class follows the retro "cab-backward" format, which provides a short front overhang and a long hood to help the sedan look more planted. As before, the E-Class will be available with two distinctive front ends.
The new E-Class continues as a mild hybrid, but the electric motor’s power output increases slightly from 15 kW to 17 kW.
The E 350 4Matic and the E 450 4Matic versions are turbocharged and have the integrated starter-generator mild-hybrid system, which provides additional power of 20 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque for brief bursts of acceleration, acting like an electric turbocharger.
The base E 350 4Matic has a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine developing 255 hp and peak torque of 295 lb-ft. The E 450 4Matic has a 3.0-litre straight-six engine producing 375 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Both models are equipped with a nine-speed transmission and standard all-wheel drive.
The E-Class has the third-generation Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) superscreen in the centre console, first seen in the S-Class and electric EQ models. The rectangular instrument cluster is based on the wild Mercedes-Benz Project One hypercar's digital display.
As with the EQS, the new E-Class has an optional front passenger screen, which gives access to streaming video and games. And, if the driver is curious about what the passenger is doing, there is a clever camera that provides a privacy function to reduce the screen’s brightness and make it less distracting to the driver.
Another ingenious optional feature is Active Ambient Lighting with what Mercedes calls “Sound Visualization.” This tech allows drivers to experience music with three senses: hearing, sight, and touch. First, your ears are treated by the Dolby Atmos technology. Then users can feel the Burmester 4D surround system and then see the Active Ambient Lighting light strip that changes the interior lighting according to the music’s rhythm.
Depending on the version, the E-Class has a flat-bottom steering wheel that gives it a sporty look and makes it more comfortable for the driver to get in and out of the vehicle.
The E-Class offers two optional features: a new air suspension and rear-axle steering. The air suspension comes with Adaptive Damping System (ADS+) dampers, which smooth out rough roads on the fly to enhance comfort for passengers. The rear-axle steering angle is 4.5 degrees, which cuts the turning circle by up to 90 centimetres, making the big E-Class sedan easier to park and manoeuvre and providing increased stability at high speeds.
Even though E-Class is bigger and wider than the previous generation model, Mercedes maintained the previous sedan’s aerodynamic efficiency.
The E-Class now has extra five millimetres of headroom, and the rear passengers can appreciate more legroom because the wheelbase is 2 cm longer.
Regarding safety equipment, the E-Class has Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Brake Assist, and Attention Assist. This system detects if a driver is distracted or incapacitated and emits a visual and audible warning. If the motorist fails to react to the warning, the system can start the procedure to activate the Active Emergency Stop Assist system, which will safely pull over the car and call for help.
There is no official price yet, but the 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 350 4Matic will launch in the Canadian market in Q4 2023, with the 2024 E 450 4MATIC to follow in the first quarter of 2024.
