The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been a staple for business men, political figures and limousine services all over the world. According to Mercedes, over 14 million units have been sold worldwide since 1946, making the E-Class the bestselling model in Mercedes' history. An incredible feat, however, Mercedes has welcomed a new era for the E-Class where intelligence meets luxury, performance meets innovation and design meets precision.
Mercedes calls it 'A New Attitude' and rightfully so that the E-Class has gained a new facelift with a more dynamic approach. The car too now adopts Mercedes' touchscreen MBUX Multimedia System (NTG 6) and Driving Assistance Package. The new E-Class too has Mercedes' new steering wheel among others.
Newly-appointed CEO of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, Sagree Sardien, said “The new locally-assembled Mercedes-Benz E-Class continues to set the standards in automotive luxury. It has gone through several stages of redefinition over the years to maintain the variety of top-class innovations, memorable highlights and a luxurious, stylish interior with high-value perception."
"The new E-Class creates history by going the extra mile in the evolution of safety, comfort and performance while upholding the standards of design and luxury. Customers will get to experience first-hand, the latest-in-class luxury and performance as well as superior technology.” she continued. The variants offered by Mercedes are the E 200 Avantgarde and the E 300 AMG Line, which are both locally-assembled at Mercedes' plant in Pekan, Pahang.
What's New On The Facelift?
The new facelift brings a new grille for the two variants but the new styling cue that will be realised right away is the tail lamps. The E-Class has been given the two-piece tail lamp design that will be featured on future Mercedes' sedans. There are also new paint options offered with the addition of 'Grey Metallic' and 'High-Tech Silver'.
Both variants are given LED headlamps with Adaptive High Beam Assist, however, unlike the 'High Performance' headlamps found on the E 200, the E 300 receives a much more complex 'Multibeam' unit. The Avantgarde gets a set of 18-inch alloy wheels while the AMG Line receives a 19-inch set of AMG alloy wheels.
Despite the facelift, Mercedes has retained the same engine from the pre-facelift model with the M264 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder for both variants. The E 200 receives 194hp and 320Nm of torque while the E 300 gets a bump to 255hp and 370Nm of torque from the power unit. Both variants are using the nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic transmission and both are also equipped with Dynamic Drive Mode and Agility Control suspension system.
Specifications
In the cabin, the most notable change is the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system. As standard, the MBUX has the '
Mercedes me' feature with built-in LTE modules. he MBUX consists of a 12.3" display and also a touchscreen, which supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. However, wireless charging is only offered on the E 300.
The E 200 receives a new Nappa leather steering wheel that features capacitive Touch Control buttons, along with light longitudinal-grain aluminium and black open-pored ash wood trimmings, Thermatic dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, powered front seats with memory function, powered sunblind for the rear window, and Mercedes' Artico faux leather upholstery.
While the E 300 has similar features to the E 200, it does however have additional accessories such as an AMG Line steering wheel, panaromic sunroof, Thermotronic three-zone climate control, AMG floor mats and the Burmester sound system. While the E 300 has similar trim to the E 200, it does have an Artico leather trimmed dashboard.
Safety Features
The new E-Class features the brand’s Urban Guard system, which works with the 'Mercedes me' to provide all-round monitoring of the vehicle. It comprises of an anti-theft alarm system, tow-away protection with visual and audible warning in the case of a detected change in position, an alarm, interior monitoring for theft and parking collision detection.
The E 200 is equipped with a reverse camera, active parking assist with Parktronic, Blind Spot Assist, Active brake assist, Adaptive brake lights, Keyless Go, Pre-Safe system, Kneebag, Anti-theft alarm system, Tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and run-flat tyres.
While the E 300 is equipped with all of the safety features from the E 200, it also receives some high-tech extras such as a 360° camera, Active Distance Assist Distronic, Active Lane Keeping Assist on top of that.
Price
The E 200 Avantgarde is priced at RM 326,943.19 (on the road without insurance), while the E 300 AMG Line is priced at RM 375,432.19 (on the road without insurance), however Mercedes will only retain the price tag until the end of the tax-free incentive period. Mercedes-Benz Malaysia also currently offers their "Step Up Agility Financing Plan" for a limited time only which starts from RM2,388 per month for the Mercedes-Benz E200 and RM2,988 for the E300 AMG Line.
Written by | Danial Malek
Images by | Mercedes-Benz Malaysia
