The peculiarity of the Indian market has forced many an international brand to think laterally and tweak their portfolios. Mercedes is no stranger to this phenomenon and their staple, the E-Class has been available in the long-wheelbase guise for a while now. This new, 10th generation of the quintessential Mercedes amps up this limousine’s desirability even further. In some ways, inspired by the S-Class whereas in other areas, even more advanced.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB first impressions
More Room for More Luxury
Design
An all-new sportier-looking face with the tristar embedded within the Avantgarde grille along with tiny chrome stars all around it looks classy without being overdone. The black shroud around the grille accentuates the face with the LED headlights bearing a new signature look for the E-class. Along the sides, the 15mm gain in wheelbase over the previous-gen car is further highlighted by the Maybach-inspired quarter glass. Even the tail lights get refreshed with a 3D star pattern that looks unique and is pretty obvious that this design motif will find its way to other models too. Compared to the BMW 5 Series LWB, the E-Class looks better proportioned and balanced overall with a more traditional “limousine” look. The 18in wheels complete the look quite well on the outside but good luck trying to find an interesting colour in the Mercedes selection. Barring the black, grey, silver and white, Nautic Blue is the only new-ish addition to the shade card.
Tech
Mercedes has pulled out all the stops when it comes to the cabin tech of the new E-Class though. The Hyperscreen from the S-Class has been supplanted with the Superscreen, which is equally impressive and perhaps even more practical. The 14.4in central touchscreen and the 12.3in passenger side screen are identical to the Hyperscreen, but the 12.3in digital instrument cluster is another standalone screen instead of being concealed in the single pane of glass. This makes for better viewing angles in a lot of sunny conditions. Now in its second generation, the MBUX’s Zero-Layer UI feels more direct and refined than ever, keeping almost every function within your reach in a single or two taps. Even the app icons are large and chunky so you can’t miss the touchpoints even while driving over rumbler strips. Very impressive indeed. The climate and media controls always appear on the screen at the bottom and telephony is just a tap away too. Sure, you can use your voice too but we all know what a hit or miss that is. Having said that, things such as the electric sunblinds that otherwise would be hidden deep in the system settings work effortlessly with voice control.
Certain modernities like the digital AC vents feel over-engineered though and also have a learning curve attached to them. It’s not something you want to learn when it’s scorching outside and you just can’t get the cool draft on your flushed face! Counterintuitively, certain creature comforts that you would expect in a car of this calibre are missing, like ventilated seats. Some are not so common, but still available in cheaper Mercs, like the Augmented Reality navigation is missing too. Engineered specifically for the Indian market, the LWB E-Class in RHD form had to be heavily localised and hence, the development times and different architecture of the electrical systems are to blame for these omissions, but hey, it still gets a lot of other party tricks.
One of the most perceptible ones is the 17-speaker, 730-watt Burmester audio system with exciters in the front seats that are synced to the music and massage your back to the beat. Used sparingly, it can elevate the experience and make you even more immersed in the musical performance, but even a tad too much shatters the illusion of realism and becomes more gimmicky. Thankfully, the sound quality inherently is great, with a balanced tonality and taut, clean bass like we have seen from other Burmester-equipped Benzes. Like on the new Mini, the E-Class throws in a centre-mounted selfie camera as well which can be used to get on a video call when the car is parked. If the meeting requires some research, the Vivaldi browser on-board provides a desktop-level surfing experience too, bringing the E-Class closer than ever to its “business sedan” telos.
Reclining rear seats and an electrically extendable underthigh support leave no doubt though that the LWB E-Class is primarily the domain of the chauffeur-driven. It creates quite the mood with wraparound ambient lighting running across the cabin with 64 colours.
Drive
Available in both diesel and petrol guises, our test car was the E200 petrol that churns out around 200hp and puts all that power in a linear, relaxed manner on the road. There is no urgency here, but yes it does gather speed rapidly but without letting you feel it. All’s good with the E-Class then. Or is it? The buttery smooth 9Gtronic automatic transmission is the perfect mind mate to the engine, shifting imperceptibly through traffic or ghats. But the comfort suspension with its focus on ride quality can get a bit jittery on city roads with undulations. Switching to Sport mode does feel better even though the E-Class doesn’t have active dampers but the overall sensation is a lot more balanced, urging us to leave it in Sport mode for all kinds of driving.
Comfort in the back is still fantastic, though the bolstered rear seats of the new 5 Series LWB may be even better for larger framed humans. The E-Class nails it with the recline angle and legroom thorough, allowing you to stretch out and even letting you push the front co-passenger seat forward for even more space. Rear-seat entertainment gets a miss, though there are holders for tablets and USB-C ports behind each front headrest as a reasonable workaround.
Conclusion
An AI starter pack will remember your daily driving patterns and activate specific climate control settings, and ambient lighting, roll down windows or even play your favorite playlist. Meant to be a car of many “firsts” and spearhead the tech onslaught, the E-Class LWB is still the statement piece by Mercedes and also a commitment to its focus on the Indian market. In terms of tech, it is the most sorted of the big three German brands in terms of its clarity and approach. The battle with BMW is going to be hotter than ever and it’s going to boil down to badge allure.
Stuff Says
More space, tech and comfort than ever before, but with a softer edge now.
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Specifications
Engine: | 4-cyl turbo petrol w/48V mild hybrid |
Power: | 204hp/320Nm |
Transmission: | 9-speed automatic |
Acceleration: | 0-100km/hr in |
Wheels: | 225/55R18 |