Mercedes-Benz will be starting 2016 in force with the launch of its new E-Class sedan at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but by then the car’s design won’t be a secret anymore.
Yes, it’s not exactly what you would call a big mystery now either, with cars nearly camouflage-free having been caught several times already. Not to mention that during a recent reveal of the new model’s interior and some tech details, Mercedes-Benz also unintentionally revealed the future E-Class in all its (grainy) glory in the background of some of its original images.
The T-Modell - the name Mercedes-Benz uses for its station wagons - is a little behind its sedan sibling in terms of completion, and should be made available later in the year, but a clear date hasn’t been set yet. Considering how Europe is currently the best market for wagons, it would make sense for Mercedes-Benz to bring it either in Geneva - if they’re in a hurry - or in Frankfurt - if they want to save on shipping costs, since Stuttgart is just a stone’s throw away.
In the true spirit of E-Class wagons, the new model appears to place practicality above anything else, presenting its boxy bottom without any trace of shame. Mercedes-Benz knows all too well that this car is a favorite among German taxi drivers, so placing form ahead of function would have been a risky strategy. Besides, something extremely useful will always have a certain kind of beauty.
Mercedes-AMG has given strong clues that this time there will be a much sportier iteration of the E-Class, but the real question is whether the Affalterbach division will work its magic on the station wagon version as well. Well, we can’t see why not, considering the success of the current model, but until there’s an official confirmation, we’ll keep our fingers crossed.
We’re not going to go into all the details, so we’ll just give you the future E-Class in a nutshell: new modular MRA platform, new modular inline six-cylinder engines as well as four-cylinder ones, hybrid versions, semi-autonomous technology, close to S-Class level of interior luxury (but also entry-level trims as well), long version for the sedan (possibly Mercedes-Maybach, but unconfirmed yet), and that’s about it.
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