Opening
The German luxury car maker Mercedes Benz began its year aggressively and it announced that it shall not be lacking in any manner to regain its number one position in the market. To begin with, Mercedes introduced two new variants of Mercedes E Class – E 250 V6 and Mercedes 250 CDI, which have been followed up by recent launches of two new Mercedes S-class.
Today we take a look at the new E-Class. The car is now available in four variants, viz:
Petrol:
E250 (NEW)
E350
Diesel:
E250 CDI Blue Efficiency (NEW)
E350 CDI Blue Efficiency
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The Power Train
The E 250 V6 engine is powered by a 2497 cc V6 engine which is a small and compact power house delivering 204 BHP and 245 Nm of torque. The car is easily capable of achieving top speed of 250 kmph. The car is being offered in ‘Elegance’ trim with 7-Gtronic automatic transmission complemented with 17 inch alloy wheels that give the automobile a smooth run. It also sports latest features such as Coil Springs, single-tube gas-filled with SSD suspension and twin-tube gas filled with SDD or coil springs, which can also be found in the top E350 model.
Its new cousin – E 250 CDI (BE) is the diesel model powered by a 2143cc inline four engine delivering 500 Nm of torque even at 1600- 1800 rpm and nearly 200 PS of power. This base model enjoys all the comforts of its top end model as well.
Engine Performance
Mercedes waves a huge “Hi” to BMW and introduces itself to the segment with a new vigor. The 2.5L engine in E 250 generates 204 hp at 6100 rpm. Now that means the new E-class is quite capable of delivering smooth performance of a powerful petrol engine along with eco-efficiency. The engine delivers high level of handling dynamism and agility.
The E 250 CDI engine is a power packed power train that is small bundle of joy. If you still associate diesel engines as noisy, smelly and boring, think again. Diesel engines have come of age too soon too fast. The 4-inline diesel engine generates 203hp at 4200 rpm and 500Nm of torque at 1600-1800 rpm.
| NEW | EXISTING | |||
| E250 V6 | E250 CDI Blue efficiency | E350 | E350 CDI Blue efficiency | |
| Engine capacity | 2987/V6 | 2143/4-Inline | 3498/V6 | 2987/v6 |
| Power in KW | 150 | 149 | 200 | 170 |
| Torque in NM | 245 | 500 | 355 | 540 |
| Drive | Rear wheel drive | |||
| Transmission | 7 G Tronic | 5 Speed Automatic | 7 G Tronic | 7 G Tronic |
| Length (mm) | 4868 | |||
| Width (mm) | 1854 | |||
| Boot space (l) | 540 | |||
| Wheel base (mm) | 2874 | |||
| Tyre rating | 245/45 R17 | |||
| Fuel Tank Capacity (l) | 80 | |||
| Turning circle radius (m) | 11.25 | |||
| Ex Showroom price (lacs) | 41.94 | 40.65 | 50 | 54 |
Design and Style of Mercedes E-Class
The two new variants carry forward the same legacy which spells “Elegance” in every curve of the model. The new E-class also offers ergonomically designed controls and knobs on the dashboard. The soft touch buttons feel and look superb clubbed with compact styling. The audio controls placed on steering make driving safer and comfortable. The interiors are done in soft leather on well-cushioned seats where you can stretch your legs long enough to drift into a deep slumber when sitting on the passenger seat.
With all those people expecting even minor luxuries in their premium sedans, Mercedes definitely takes care of everyone’s demand. The models are laden with latest features like drowsiness detection system - Attention Assist, LED daytime lighting, Intelligent Lighting System, Advanced Parking Guidance and more.
The suspensions of the car could have been better as they tend to succumb to imperfections of Indian roads. At the same time, Mercedes has always boasted of its BlueEfficiency technology and the diesel model adorns the badge with much pride and vigor. The total combination of the design, style, power train weight saving, lower rolling resistance and aerodynamics of the car deliver fuel efficiency of 12.5kmpl. With a tank of 80 liters, you can run a stretch of up to 1000 kilometers in your new Merc.
Comparison
In its segment, the E-Class competes with the Audi A6 and the BMW 5-series. The below table compares the models and their specifications.
| Mercedes Benz | Audi | BMW | ||||
| E250 V6 | E250 CDI Blue efficiency | A6 3.0 TFSI Quattro | A6 3.0 TDI Quattro | 530d | 530i | |
| Engine capacity | 2987/V6 | 2143/4-Inline | 2995/4 | 2967/4 | 2993/4 | 2996/4 |
| Power in KW | 150 | 149 | 213 | 176 | 130 | 120 |
| Torque in NM | 245 | 500 | 420 | 500 | 500 | 300 |
| Drive | Rear wheel drive | Rear wheel drive | All wheel drive | All wheel drive | Rear Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | 7 G Tronic | 5 Speed Automatic | 6 Speed Tiptronic | 6 Speed Tiptronic | 6 Speed Aautomatic | 6 Speed Automatic |
| Length (mm) | 4868 | 5062 | 4841 | |||
| Width (mm) | 1854 | 1894 | 2030 | |||
| Boot space (L) | 540 | 500 | 520 | |||
| Wheel base (mm) | 2874 | 2944 | 2888 | |||
| Tyre rating | 245/45 R17 | 245/45 R17 | 225/50 R17 | 225/50 R17 | 255/40 R18 | 255/40 R18 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity (L) | 80 | 80 | 70 | |||
| Turning circle radius (m) | 11.25 | 11.9 | 11.4 | |||
| Ex Show room price | 41.94 | 40.65 | 50 | 52 | 45 | 55 |
Price and Other Features
The new E250 V6 costs Rs 41.94 lakhs, and E250CDI costs Rs 40.65 lakhs.
Colours are customized and can be selected as required from wide range of combinations: Carneol Red, Cuprit Brown, Flint Grey Metallic, Indigolite Blue, Iridium Silver, Obsidian Black, Palladium Silver metallic.
Conclusion
Maintaining its attention for detail, the new Mercedes E-Class forms an impressive package. The new E-class comes with better fuel efficiency and the new diesel engine is not only eco-friendly but smart and super efficient.
However, the car’s suspension could have been better.
At its price, the E250 series has an attractive set of features available. The pricing of around 40 Lac ex showroom serves as a boosting factor for the E Class models. It is a great pleasure to drive and the ever attention grabbing 3-Point Star logo maintains the status quo.
