Mercedes-Benz E350d LWB First Drive Review

The E-class was Mercedes’s first step on Indian soil and even today it remains the most important sedan in their line-up. Ever since Mercedes came to India, the E has been its most consistent performer and with over 34,000 units sold since its launch in 1995, the E-class is the same to Mercedes, as a daily loaf of bread is to us. Now in its tenth generation, Mercedes has come out all guns blazing with its all-new E-class and have loaded it with tech to make it the undisputed king in its segment. The fact that Mercedes is launching the long wheelbase version, which is only available in China, further exemplifies just how important the Indian market is to the German giant.

Like most Merc sedan’s, the E’s design is inspired from the flagship S-class. As a result it looks almost identical to its elder brother. The exteriors of the E-class look sophisticated, well rounded and more importantly luxurious. Upfront the large gaping grille with the large three pointed star sitting in the centre dominates and gives the car loads of presence. At the rear too the shapely tail lamps, stubby boot lid and the muscular bumper looks really nice and the chrome faux diffuser makes it look sporty too. Although the long wheelbase version gives you loads of space at the rear, it also makes the silhouette of the car look a bit ungainly. You can clearly see, that the Mercedes designers have struggled especially at the rear door which looks abruptly cut and the odd rear quarter glass further exemplifies it. Even the C-pillar looks a bit too vertical especially as compared to the heavily raked A-pillar. This is done not to compromise on rear headroom which has been given more importance over design finesse. Then the wheels, at 17 inches look a size too small for such a large car.

As the new E-class comes in the long wheelbase version it is substantially larger than its predecessor. Wheelbase length has grown by a massive 205mm, its overall length by 184mm. Mercedes engineers have also increased track width by 20mm upfront and 7mm at the rear to help make this limo more agile despite the XXL dimensions.

Let’s move to the most impressive part of the new E-class, its interiors. The cabin feels spacious, open and crisply styled even in the all-black trim our test car came with. There’s nearly as much space in here as in the massive S-class, and the overall design is similar too. The dash design is elegant, beautifully detailed and well-crafted and the layered effect that the designers have going works a treat. Attention to detail is phenomenal right from the beautifully finished chrome vents to the high definition screen. Quality is top-notch too and the E-class delivers a super combination of materials wherever you look.

The standard touchpad on the centre console works really well and after using it for a bit, it is almost as nice to use as a touchscreen. For those who prefer a more traditional control scheme, there’s the usual chrome COMAND wheel as well. You also get touch sensitive buttons on the steering wheel, which control the main as well as the instrumentation screen.

The front seats on the new E-class is perfectly cushioned and offer good support. But being the first E-class to get long wheelbase, the rear seat is the main priority and it doesn’t disappoint. At the rear the knee-room is just phenomenal and even tallest of people will feel spoilt by the space on offer. These seats recline and adjust for height too which just adds to the overall back seat experience. The wide cabin also means the third rear passenger has enough width to be more comfortable than before. But the occupant of the middle perch will have their feet astride a sizable transmission tunnel and the protruding centre armrest. What really disappoints is the fact that there are no cup holders at the back, especially on car which focusses so much on rear seat comfort.

Boot like the old car is big and well-shaped. But like in recent Merc’s, the space saver spare tyre takes up considerable amount of space.

The E350d will come only in one variant and it gets loads of standard equipment. It gets auto-park, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible COMAND system, both front and back powered seats, 360 degree camera, cruise control, three zone climate control, ESP, PreSafe and several airbags. We would have also liked the E-class to come with lane departure warning with auto steer and powered boot opening which the new Volvo S90 gets.

The new E-class will initially come with 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol and 3.0-litre V6 diesel which we have tested here. The E-class will also get the all-new 2.0-litre diesel later this year. The E350d carries over the same V6 diesel engine from the earlier car. Producing a very healthy 255bhp of power and 620 Nm of pulling power, it now comes mated to a 9-speed torque converter gearbox.

As soon as you start the 3.0-litre diesel motor it settles into a very smooth idle with minimum clatter and vibrations seeping through. The motor produces 255bhp but more importantly it makes 620 Nm of torque from as low as 1600rpm. This means there is a huge amount of pulling power right from the word go and the E350d feels effortless in any situation.

On an open road, once past 1800rpm, the motor comes into its own and the push in the back stays very firm all the way to 4000rpm. At slower speeds, the V6 diesel’s linear power delivery helps you to make smooth progress and this makes it surprisingly easy to drive.

Also well mated and well up to the task is the 9-speed torque converter gearbox. It feels laidback and extremely smooth in Comfort-mode and turns to a quick swapping box as soon as you shift to Sport or Sport+ mode. Upshifts are a quick flick of the paddle-shift away and the gearbox shifts really well in manual mode too, increasing driving pleasure considerably. However, it does become a touch slow to downshift when cruising, especially in Eco setting.

Where the petrol E200 will get standard steel springs, the E350d is suspended by air springs at all four corners. Christened Air Body Control it features a multi-chamber air suspension layout. It basically consist three chambers of different sizes in the spring struts of the rear axle and two in the spring struts of the front axle which makes it possible to be more precise with how the suspension reacts in different driving conditions. It also features all-round self-levelling, which promises to give you a flat ride with minimal body movement.

Where the old car use to feel a bit stiff kneed, the E350d feels much suppler and bump absorption at low speeds is really good. In comfort mode the air suspension glides over the worst of surfaces without much fuss and gives it the all-important luxury ride. When driving on rough roads, the ground clearance can also be increased by 15mm at the push of a button using the ride height adjustment switch. At higher speeds though there is too much body movement, especially over rippled or undulating surfaces. It’s best to switch to Sport and in this mode the E350d displays a much flatter poise and a more comfortable ride.

Despite its girth the E-class is a fairly decent thing to punt around corners. The steering feels light and effortless but is devoid of feel. The E-class is not a car to hustle in corners. It rather appreciates smoother inputs and fast sweeping bends where it feels rock solid and on song. Slower corners also reminds you of this Mammoths weight and its best to drive it in a relaxed manner. Basically the E350d drives exactly the way it looks – it puts comfort first over involvement.

Another aspect which is exceptional in the new E is the standard of sound insulation. Obviously the velvety smooth V6 motor and the quiet air suspension helps, but there is hardly any road or wind noise to talk about.

We expect the E350d to cost around Rs 65-70 lakh ex-showroom. Obviously it won’t be cheap but on the flip side you get a luxury limousine which feels worth every penny. Its combination of space, visual presence, stunning interior quality, sophisticated technology, strong performance, supple ride and relaxing demeanour sets it apart. This new luxury sedan from Mercedes is a huge step forward over its predecessor and it has a wide arsenal to further cement its place as the numero uno in its segment.

There are as many as four rivals for the new E-class to contend with. Where the Volvo S90 and the Jaguar XF have just come out with new generation cars, BMW 5-series and Audi A6 are due to get replaced soon. The E350d has two main rivals in form of the BMW 530d and the Jaguar XF 3.0d which also offer six cylinder diesel engines. The Volvo S90 on the the other hand is the most affordable and comes only in 2.0-litre diesel engine guise.

Pictures by Kapil Angane

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