For this car crazy journalist, it’s always a treat when a new car launch includes a trip down memory lane. Especially when said trip includes a look at the very first car I ever drove.
It’s codenamed W115, which happens to be the 70s-era forefather of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class. And it figured prominently in a very interesting presentation of the new E-Class’ heritage that enumerated the new executive sedan’s illustrious predecessors. (The W115 sedan was the first Mercedes-Benz model to hit the million sales mark.)
Auto Nation Group (ANG), the official distributor of Mercedes-Benz in the Philippines, unveiled last Wednesday morning the new E-Class (W214) in a virtual media launch and followed it up with a public unveiling on Mercedes-Benz Philippines’ Facebook and YouTube pages in the afternoon.
The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class has undergone a comprehensive update, bringing with it new intelligent features, enhanced dynamics, and a throroughly fresh appearance. The tenth generation of the E-Class set styling trends in 2016 with its clean yet emotionally appealing design and an exclusive, high-quality interior. The wealth of innovations such as in the area of the driving assistance systems also was characteristic of the cars from Sindelfingen.
“The new E-Class offers a refined sportiness, impressive design, and dynamism. It embodies a synthesis of emotion and intelligence. It is loaded with next-generation driver assistance systems, comfort features and safety technologies, that bring luxury experience to new levels and give an even stronger impression,” says Frankie Ang, Chief Operating Officer at Auto Nation Group, Inc.
The new E-Class is sophisticated, sporty, and confidently stylish. Its many enhancements are wrapped in a timelessly modern design. The new front end with revised grille plays a key role in the fresh styling. It has been redesigned with a striking new design with diamond pins in chrome and insert in high-gloss black. There are also redesigned headlamps equipped with LED High Performance headlights.
Available in a sporty AMG Line body styling, the new E-Class comes with a set of 19-inch AMG 5-twin spoke light alloy wheels painted in Tantalite Gray with a high-sheen finish. Out back the taillamps have also updated with its two-piece LED taillamps wrap horizontally around the rear body to make the E-Class appear wider and stronger. New geometrically designed LEDs replace the crystalline optic of the previous design.
Inside, the E-Class has everything that makes your daily life better – fine materials and class-leading innovation. The upgraded interior lies behind dual 12.3-inch displays which are arranged side by side for a wide panoramic view. In addition, it’s equipped with the latest generation of the MBUX multimedia system that caters to voice commands to attend to infotainment functions such as navigation, phone call, music selection, climate control, and ambient lighting. The new multifunction sports steering wheel in Nappa leather with touch control panels combines fine materials with innovative ease of operation. The infotainment system also offers seamless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration for a more hands-free driving experience.
Mercedes-Benz has always the been at the forefront of safety innovations in the automobile industry. The new E-Class is loaded with safety features and driver assistance technologies that keep both driver and passengers safe on the road.
The new E-Class has an impressive list of safety features such as the PRE-SAFE system, Attention Assist, Active Brake Assist, Urban Guard vehicle protection that comprises an anti-theft alarm system plus tow-away protection that enables to detect changes with the movement of the vehicle. It’s also equipped with Active Parking Assist that employs an advanced reversing camera to provide support to the driver.
The E-Class is the benchmark in ride comfort and handling safety. Powered by a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder petrol engine (geared with a 9G-TRONIC 9-speed automatic), it produces 197hp and 320Nm of torque.
At launch, the new made-in-Germany E-Class comes in the E 200 variant now available at all Mercedes-Benz dealerships nationwide. It has a retail price of P5,390,000.
Contact your preferred dealer and reserve your own E-Class at Mercedes-Benz EDSA-Greenhills (02) 8784 5001/ 0939 937 2009, Mercedes-Benz Bonifacio Global City (02) 8815 7777/ 0920 974 4575, Mercedes-Benz Alabang (02) 8553-6334 / 0905 435 2840, and Mercedes-Benz Cebu (32) 260 3333/ 0917 718 2369. Discover the outstanding features of the new E-Class at https://www.mercedes-benz.ph/eclass for more details.