Price £68,785 Power 194bhp Torque 325lb ft 0-60mph 7.2sec 30-70mph in fourth 7.7sec Fuel economy 45.5mpg CO₂ emissions 131g/km 70-Omph 56.2m
Quite a few all-new cars from all-new car makers enjoyed road test scrutiny last year, so let's start the new year with something very much the opposite.
No, not a classic car (we refer you to Classic & Sports Car for that) but the new 'W214' E-Class, which is one of the oldest model lines from one of the oldest car manufacturers. By Mercedes-Benz's own count, it is the 10th generation of a largely unbroken lineage going back to 1947.
Despite being very keen to refer to its heritage (and why wouldn't it be?), Mercedes isn't a particularly nostalgic company. It has come up with radical designs, such as the original A-Class and Smart City Coupé, while its electric cars are really exploiting the aerodynamics and design possibilities that an EV offers.
Unlike BMW with the 5 Series and i5, Mercedes is choosing to keep the electric EQE and combustionengined E-Class apart. According to the literature, the new E-Class needs to balance tradition with modernity and build a bridge' between traditional exec saloons and the tech-filled EVs of the future.
Plenty of buyers are not ready for their car to be a smartphone on wheels, so that mission could well strike a chord. To find out whether the E-Class might succeed, we have one with all the toys but probably the most traditional powertrain available: a 2.0-litre diesel engine.
DESIGN AND ENGINEERING
Denne historien er fra January 03, 2024-utgaven av Autocar UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra January 03, 2024-utgaven av Autocar UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Poster car that went from rusty to trusty
One evening, two years ago, George Pappas was being driven down his local high street by a mate and mulling over whether to replace his Mk4 Golf diesel, a recent purchase that was boring him to death, when his girlfriend, also in the car, spotted an old BMW 3 Series at the side of the road with a 'for sale' sign in the window.
THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF
The current-gen XC90 has been on sale since 2015 for good reason
GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80
Where the story begins, in the Hyundai premium marque’s luxury saloon
LEXUSLBX
Can you shrink premium quality to fit an SUV this small? We now know
Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'
Nine months into the job, Rolls-Royce CEO and car guy Chris Brownridge tells STEVE CROPLEY what he's learned and where the firm's heading
Once more, with feeling
AC Cars' recreation of the classic MkII Cobra is at first glance a faithful facsimile of a 1960s performance benchmark. SIMON HUCKNALL drives it
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE
Does a PHEV set-up work in a coupé that exudes such old-school vibes?
ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT
Lotus Elise specialist uprates 1990s icon with an eye on track days
ALPINE A290
The hot hatch is alive and well, and living in France. On both road and track, there's much to savour`
UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS
Average car age climbs as high prices dampen demand for new models
