Car review: Does Mercedes-Benz E-Class purport to replace the S-Class?

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB may not quite replace the S-Class but it is a classier, spacious upgrade from older avatars

When luxe car-makers roll out new models at the entry level, price dynamics shift and a couple of things happen. First, price-wise, the new car realigns to almost resemble the model that sits right above it, thanks to BS VI regulations and growing input costs over the years. This happened with the BMW 2 Series and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class limousine, which cost almost what the new C-Class used to just a few years ago. 

Second, when car portfolios expand for a manufacturer, like their price, de facto, the new cars also start to offer features like those in the model above them.

That is the case, too, with the recently launched Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB, or long wheel base, which feels and mimics the larger S-Class more than the standard E-Class of yore.

In length, this car is just over 5 metres but the hydraulics never let that come in the way of manoeuvrability. 

The S-Class has been and is the stately carriage of choice for heads of state, Fortune 500 company bosses, billionaires and blue-blood industrialists, and it is unlikely the E-Class, despite its long wheel base, will replace it. However, what Merc's best-selling sedan does do is up the ante in terms of features, comfort, and car-per-car in the luxury game. A side note: To date, Mercedes-Benz has sold around 46,000 of the E-Class in India since it first got here in 1995, and almost a third of these sales have been E-Class sedans. 

Stuttgart has given the model an extensive makeover. The new E-Class reflects sharper styling with new adaptive LED headlamps and tail lamps as well as an edgy front “diamond grill”, besides a more muted tail end.

Overall, the car looks and feels sportier than ever with a meaty steering wheel, while continuing with its refined trappings. In the backseat, for example, the added comforts include a luxurious headrest with manually adjustable side braces and an armrest that comes with an anti-skid tray. 

Available in three variants, what's standard is a responsive 12.3-inch touchscreen, configurable 12.3-inch digital dials, vibrant 64-colour ambient lighting, powered rear seats with memory and a very premium soft-close door function. Special features include a brilliant Burmester sound system, rear wireless charging and a 360-degree camera. The range-topping AMG Line also gets air suspension.

There's also electric reclining seats in the back, something you normally don't expect in cars unless they are top-of-the line saloons like the Maybach or the S-Class. 

On the road, the six-cylinder diesel engine version I drove (Rs 81 lakh) is silent, smooth and as refined as it gets, with Merc's 9G-Tronic gears (yes, that means nine speeds) allowing the vehicle to zip from zero to 100 kmh in under eight seconds, which is more acceleration than needed for most in city driving.

All Mercs are smooth, but the E-Class takes sophistication on the road to another level, both with the drive experience and stability inside the car, thanks to the measured braking systems, anti-skid and anti-roll tech and insulation from the noisy world outside that is classic Mercedes-Benz. 

Currently, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB has as its competitors the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Jaguar XF, Volvo S90 and the Lexus ES 300h. Stretch that a little and it could also include rigs like the new BMW 6 Series GT and other long wheel base sedans, the presumption being that large sedans of European especially German origin land on the checklist of prospective buyers shopping for such cars. 

Does the E-Class purport to replace the S-Class? The truth is it never will but with its extended wheelbase, it does give an owner more bang for buck when it comes to space, presence and comfort in a luxury sedan.