Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Sixth-generation executive saloon and estate ramp up the luxury and tech The new car market is changing faster than ever, but that doesn't mean some things can't say the same - and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a case in point. Despite years of progress, the big German's underlying receipe of quality, comfort, space and refinement remains largely untouched. This 'W214' E-Class is the latest iteration of one of the oldest model lines from one of the oldest car manufacturers. By Mercedes' own count, it's 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 with the BMW i5 and 5 Series, Mercedes is choosing to keep the electric EQE and combustion-engined E-Class apart. According to the literature, the new E-Class needs to balance tradition with modernity and ‘build a bridge’ between traditional executive 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, so far we've tested an E220d and E300e saloon, and both the E220d and E450d estates.The E-Class Estate is of course here to reddress the decline in popularity of the executive wagon, which has been made an endangered species as SUVs have prospered. In the next few years, the breed may even disappear for good, and this is particularly true for versions with torque-rich six-cylinder engines, like the E-Class.We’re already in a last-car-standing scenario, because BMW has, at least in the UK, shunned diesel entirely for the latest raft of 3 and 5 Series models, including the big-booted Touring variants. Aside from the quirky Audi S6 Avant (get it while it’s still here), Audi is also down to only four-piston offerings for TDI derivatives of the A4 and A6 Avant – erstwhile stalwarts of the big-capacity diesel scene.All of which should make the range-topping E-Class diesel, the E450d, appealing to those who want maximum autonomy and effortless pace and opulence. Alongside it on the petrol side of the spectrum, there's the AMG E53: a six-cylinder PHEV. In other regions, there's an E450 petrol as well, but that isn't offered in the UK for the time being - and is unlikely to make an appearance over here any time soon.Apart from the top-rung Exclusive Edition, all trim levels are all AMG Line of some sort, with Advanced, Premium and Premium Plus packs tacked on for the more expensive versions.

Mar 28, 2025 - 15:19

Mercedes Benz E450d Estate 2025 Review pan 12

Sixth-generation executive saloon and estate ramp up the luxury and tech The new car market is changing faster than ever, but that doesn't mean some things can't say the same - and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a case in point. Despite years of progress, the big German's underlying receipe of quality, comfort, space and refinement remains largely untouched. This 'W214' E-Class is the latest iteration of one of the oldest model lines from one of the oldest car manufacturers. By Mercedes' own count, it's 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 with the BMW i5 and 5 Series, Mercedes is choosing to keep the electric EQE and combustion-engined E-Class apart. According to the literature, the new E-Class needs to balance tradition with modernity and ‘build a bridge’ between traditional executive 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, so far we've tested an E220d and E300e saloon, and both the E220d and E450d estates.The E-Class Estate is of course here to reddress the decline in popularity of the executive wagon, which has been made an endangered species as SUVs have prospered. In the next few years, the breed may even disappear for good, and this is particularly true for versions with torque-rich six-cylinder engines, like the E-Class.We’re already in a last-car-standing scenario, because BMW has, at least in the UK, shunned diesel entirely for the latest raft of 3 and 5 Series models, including the big-booted Touring variants. Aside from the quirky Audi S6 Avant (get it while it’s still here), Audi is also down to only four-piston offerings for TDI derivatives of the A4 and A6 Avant – erstwhile stalwarts of the big-capacity diesel scene.All of which should make the range-topping E-Class diesel, the E450d, appealing to those who want maximum autonomy and effortless pace and opulence. Alongside it on the petrol side of the spectrum, there's the AMG E53: a six-cylinder PHEV. In other regions, there's an E450 petrol as well, but that isn't offered in the UK for the time being - and is unlikely to make an appearance over here any time soon.Apart from the top-rung Exclusive Edition, all trim levels are all AMG Line of some sort, with Advanced, Premium and Premium Plus packs tacked on for the more expensive versions.