Photo: Theottle on YouTube
Mercedes recently premiered its most divisive E-Class yet. Codenamed W214 for the sedan, the sixth generation has been officially confirmed by the German automaker with two engine options for the US market. Sometime during the 2024 model year, the four-door variant will be joined by a station wagon.
Not the standard longroof that Europe will receive, but something more capable off the beaten path. Codenamed S214 – just like the E-Class T-Modell – the E-Class All-Terrain has been indirectly confirmed by Mercedes by means of EPA documentation. As per the attached file, the off-roady wagon is coming with all-wheel drive and the M256 in this part of the world.
M256 is the Stuttgart-based automaker's way of saying inline-six powerplant with mild-hybrid assist. Closely related to the M254 four-cylinder lump of the E 350 4MATIC sedan, the 3.0-liter sibling entered series production back in 2017 in the W222 S-Class.
The smooth inline-six engine features a BorgWarner-supplied electric supercharger designed to reduce turbo lag. It further boasts an ISG, which replaces both the alternator and starter. The very compact integrated starter generator is connected to the crankshaft, which means that it can supply power directly to the M256.
As for the generator part of the ISG system, electricity goes to a 48-volt battery when coasting or braking. More simple than a conventional hybrid, the mild-hybrid setup of the E 450 is also used by the AMG GT 43 4MATIC+ and AMG GT 53 4MATIC+ sedans.
The document filed by Mercedes with the Environmental Protection Agency further confirms the inline-six mill for the new CLE, which is coming stateside for the 2024 model year in either coupe or convertible flavors. Listed variants include the four-cylinder 300 4MATIC, six-cylinder CLE 450 4MATIC, and the AMG-ified CLE 53 4MATIC.
For some reason or another, the 53 series doesn't come with 4MATIC+. Developed for high-performance applications, 4MATIC+ can gladly send up to 100 percent of the powerplant's torque to the rear wheels. In the previous-gen E 63, for example, 4MATIC+ also comes with RWD mode.
It's also curious that Mercedes-AMG won't offer a 43 version of the CLE, and it's even more curious to see no AMG-ified E-Class in the EPA filing. On the other hand, we do see the SL 43 there. It's not exactly a thriller despite featuring a hand-built AMG engine, namely the M139 four-pot lump of the CLA 45.
The SL 43's M139 produces 375 horsepower and 354 pound-feet (480 Nm) of torque, and this fellow is the only rear-wheel-drive SL currently in production. As for the M254 of the 350 series, make that 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) on full song. Last but certainly not least, look forward to 375 horsepower and 369 pound-feet (500 Nm) in the 450 series that Merc won't sell in the Old Continent.
Peak output of the 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4MATIC isn't known at press time, but we guesstimate somewhere in the ballpark of 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet (520 Nm) of torque. The German automaker's codenames for the coupe and convertible are listed as C236 and A236 in the filing.
M256 is the Stuttgart-based automaker's way of saying inline-six powerplant with mild-hybrid assist. Closely related to the M254 four-cylinder lump of the E 350 4MATIC sedan, the 3.0-liter sibling entered series production back in 2017 in the W222 S-Class.
The smooth inline-six engine features a BorgWarner-supplied electric supercharger designed to reduce turbo lag. It further boasts an ISG, which replaces both the alternator and starter. The very compact integrated starter generator is connected to the crankshaft, which means that it can supply power directly to the M256.
As for the generator part of the ISG system, electricity goes to a 48-volt battery when coasting or braking. More simple than a conventional hybrid, the mild-hybrid setup of the E 450 is also used by the AMG GT 43 4MATIC+ and AMG GT 53 4MATIC+ sedans.
The document filed by Mercedes with the Environmental Protection Agency further confirms the inline-six mill for the new CLE, which is coming stateside for the 2024 model year in either coupe or convertible flavors. Listed variants include the four-cylinder 300 4MATIC, six-cylinder CLE 450 4MATIC, and the AMG-ified CLE 53 4MATIC.
For some reason or another, the 53 series doesn't come with 4MATIC+. Developed for high-performance applications, 4MATIC+ can gladly send up to 100 percent of the powerplant's torque to the rear wheels. In the previous-gen E 63, for example, 4MATIC+ also comes with RWD mode.
It's also curious that Mercedes-AMG won't offer a 43 version of the CLE, and it's even more curious to see no AMG-ified E-Class in the EPA filing. On the other hand, we do see the SL 43 there. It's not exactly a thriller despite featuring a hand-built AMG engine, namely the M139 four-pot lump of the CLA 45.
The SL 43's M139 produces 375 horsepower and 354 pound-feet (480 Nm) of torque, and this fellow is the only rear-wheel-drive SL currently in production. As for the M254 of the 350 series, make that 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) on full song. Last but certainly not least, look forward to 375 horsepower and 369 pound-feet (500 Nm) in the 450 series that Merc won't sell in the Old Continent.
Peak output of the 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4MATIC isn't known at press time, but we guesstimate somewhere in the ballpark of 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet (520 Nm) of torque. The German automaker's codenames for the coupe and convertible are listed as C236 and A236 in the filing.
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