The new Mercedes-Benz E 300 e tested|2024 Benchmark
Replacing the E-Class is a huge milestone for Mercedes-Benz, it being a car that benchmarks the luxury sedan segment. With combative rivalry in this segment, an update isn’t just any update. Expect manufacturers to go all-out when refining on this level of the game.
At first glance, nothing seems out of the ordinary with this model update. The role -that the E-Class occupies- is very strictly demarcated, leading to a car that is unmistakably recognizable for the car that it replaces. Conservative can be the correct way to approach this. A model update might not be so thrilling, one may argue. But, where it occupied a central position in the model range not more than a decade ago, it is not as unambiguously held today. Innovation is not just a byproduct, it should be the driving force behind it, as this could well and truly be the last E. Or at least the last in the form that we’ve become so familiar with. Let’s discuss what this ever-so-important update has to offer.
Tech overload
Distinction from the previous generation is found in the art of digitalization, something Mercedes-Benz emphasized during the presentation of the new E-Class. Let’s start this review with the interior. Get yourself seated and be overwhelmed by the panoramic MBUX Superscreen, that dominates the interior. A piece of glass, housing two touch screens to interact with the car’s infotainment system, stretching from the steering column to the other side of the dashboard. It’s beautifully finished and sets the cockpit apart. The interior layout leaves no alternative other than to compromise the presence of physical buttons. Nicht gut, one may say, because this causes a serious lack of tactility. However, the intuitiveness of the latest layered MBUX system literally takes away most of your complaints. And not only in the way that vital controls are accessible at any moment in time and are easily reached. It is more in the sense that the central touch screen very cleverly adds value to the user experience, instead of digitalizing the cockpit for the sake of digitalizing. A worthy addition to the pristinely finished interior.
After using the car for a while, some features you discover are on the ‘gimmicky’-side of the spectrum. The 3-dimensional gauge cluster adds a whole new dimension (pun intended) to the way you look at the digital gauges. The physical movement of climate vents can now be adjusted via the screen. You do not need to bring the key, your phone or smartwatch will do. There’s a dashboard-mounted camera for Zoom meetings. Features like this are not strictly necessary, but evince that cars like this operate at the epitome of what is technologically achievable.
Not only gimmicks
It does not end with the gimmicks though. The entirety feels technologically advanced. It’s the sophistication of the chassis, smoothness of the drivetrain and unparalleled traffic assistance with near-autonomous driving capabilities. The drivetrain of the E 300 e does its job with a 313 horsepower setup. Upfront is a 2-litre four-cylinder engine, co-acting with a 95 kW electric motor, or 129 horsepower in old money. In all fairness, this electric motor does most of the work, given the large battery capacity of 25 kWh. Expect the electric range to be extremely useful upto around 100 kilometers.
A large portion of the drivetrains -on offer now- is Mercedes’ fourth generation of hybrids. With batteries getting so large, the additional weight penalty of carrying one, cannot be neglected anymore. But, in a more holistic approach, the electric range now exceeds most day-to-day trips, whilst on longer trips the fuel consumption is very low for a 2210 kg vehicle. Quantification is near-pointless because this is very much dependent on the road situation, trip duration and battery SOC. Rephrasing, the latest developments in plug-in hybrid technology offers an interesting proposition that might cannibalize the battery electric vehicle sales. PHEVs benefit from the same improvements in battery technology and might no longer be a mere interim solution in the transition toward electrification. It can do zero-emission trips in sites where it matters (e.g. city centers), 50 kW charging and economic runs when the battery is empty, all in a much better way than its preceding PHEV ancestors did, and its descendants will only further improve on this. Only time will tell whether this W214’s successor will prolong this form and shape of the E-Class in the way that we know it. Back to the query of the introduction. As of now, the E-Class represents the middle of the range in Mercedes’ offering. Though, I’m very interested to see how this car’s positioning changes in the near future considering the uptake in EVs, policies and market trends.
All in all, living with this car is a joy. The cabin is quiet and the materials are excellent. Comfortable, but it’s not a woolly driving vehicle. The precision in the steering is just right, call it reassuring. The space inside is good, although the rear bench is and will always be compromised by the wide central tunnel housing the cardan shaft. The same goes for the boot space. The floor is flat, contrary to previous plug-ins from Mercedes-Benz, but up high which reduces the volume to a mediocre 370 liters.
Fresh appearance
The update comprises a lot more than what its appearance suggests. Speaking of its appearance, this generation E-Class continues the extravagant trend that the previous initiated: the sobriety of a dime-a-dozen German sedan is now done away with for good, it seems. In comes a sharpened up front-end, highly influenced by more recent EQ-models. In the rear, the taillights feature double Mercedes stars as a design element, carrying on the omnipresent starry theme that the rest of the car is drenched with. Yet, the result is not a theatrical or flashy car whatsoever. This is a very distinguished limousine with a short front overhang and sweeping but vigorous lines, resulting in a modern physiognomy. Contemporary and up-to-date, howbeit instantly distinguishable as the car that should replace the W213 chassis.
Rounding off
Concluding this article with my view on the exterior feels a bit back-to-front. Though, this is not what this new generation stands for. The E 300 e is refined more thoroughly than expected and lives up to what you may expect from a car that is priced around the €98k (BE) mark for the car as tested. Prices for the E 300 e start competitively around €65k (BE). It’s not just the new benchmark for cars within the segment, it recalibrates our standards for PHEVs. Take our advice and opt for the plug-in, it’s all you’ll ever need.