Photo: Stefan Baldauf / SB-Medien
With so many EQ-branded electric cars coming out, it’s easy to forget that Mercedes still has a lot of legacy nameplates to update in this coming decade. The latest W223 S-Class arrived just last year, while the all-new W206 C-Class was unveiled back in February. As for the middle child, the E-Class, well, the current W213 version broke cover in 2016 and received a thorough facelift in 2020, which means it’s still a few years away from getting replaced.
Thankfully, the carmaker decided to give our spy photographers an early Christmas present, which is how we came into possession of images depicting the all-new 2023 E-Class sedan undergoing public tests. Even though the vehicle is fully camouflaged, we can tell that it’s already wearing its production body, and since it’s been wrapped tighter than a tailor-made suit, well that just makes it easier for us to spot any new design elements, like crisp creases in the bodywork, plus the overall shape and a few other minor details.
Let’s start with the front end, which has been fitted with a makeshift grille. This makes it impossible for us to know what the new grille looks like, but thankfully the cutout for the headlights is easier to analyze. I can tell you that the new lighting units are slimmer than on the current model, featuring LED graphics both on the upper and lower edge. It’s strangely similar to the second-generation CLS’ daytime running light graphics, except the two LED strips are clearly further apart than on the old C218 CLS.
By the way, this is an AMG Line model, judging by its aggressive lower front bumper and side skirts.
Moving on to the profile, we see that it’s got flush door handles, just like the new S-Class or the EQS/EQE duo. What’s even more interesting is that the doors clearly have two distinctive and dynamic-looking creases, one cutting sharply above the handle, while the lower one gives you the impression that the car is in perpetual motion – we can safely say that’s what the designer intended.
It's funny how Mercedes made a big deal about having more elegant and less busy designs, and now, here are the doors of the next-generation W214 E-Class with two BMW-reminiscent creases, as opposed to mirroring the all-new C-Class and S-Class in their simplicity.
As for the rear end, the taillights do kind of resemble those from the S-Class, while the C-pillar flows slowly towards the trunk lid, thus allowing for a traditional sedan shape. BMW, on the other hand, is sort of moving away from having typical four-door sedan styling on the next-gen 5 Series / i5, forcing the C-pillar to slope down more abruptly, almost like with a fastback, except not quite.
Regarding the interior, there is one image that sort of allows us to look inside in a manner that some might consider relevant, but everything is well covered up – including what appears to be a dual screen setup just like on the current model. If that’s true, then it would mark yet another departure from what Mercedes has been doing with the C-Class and the S-Class as of late.
Finally, the power units. Expect to get a wide range of mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid options for day-to-day use. As far as the more performance-oriented AMG versions are concerned, while it’s way too early to speculate, some form of electrification is probably a given.
Let’s start with the front end, which has been fitted with a makeshift grille. This makes it impossible for us to know what the new grille looks like, but thankfully the cutout for the headlights is easier to analyze. I can tell you that the new lighting units are slimmer than on the current model, featuring LED graphics both on the upper and lower edge. It’s strangely similar to the second-generation CLS’ daytime running light graphics, except the two LED strips are clearly further apart than on the old C218 CLS.
By the way, this is an AMG Line model, judging by its aggressive lower front bumper and side skirts.
Moving on to the profile, we see that it’s got flush door handles, just like the new S-Class or the EQS/EQE duo. What’s even more interesting is that the doors clearly have two distinctive and dynamic-looking creases, one cutting sharply above the handle, while the lower one gives you the impression that the car is in perpetual motion – we can safely say that’s what the designer intended.
It's funny how Mercedes made a big deal about having more elegant and less busy designs, and now, here are the doors of the next-generation W214 E-Class with two BMW-reminiscent creases, as opposed to mirroring the all-new C-Class and S-Class in their simplicity.
As for the rear end, the taillights do kind of resemble those from the S-Class, while the C-pillar flows slowly towards the trunk lid, thus allowing for a traditional sedan shape. BMW, on the other hand, is sort of moving away from having typical four-door sedan styling on the next-gen 5 Series / i5, forcing the C-pillar to slope down more abruptly, almost like with a fastback, except not quite.
Regarding the interior, there is one image that sort of allows us to look inside in a manner that some might consider relevant, but everything is well covered up – including what appears to be a dual screen setup just like on the current model. If that’s true, then it would mark yet another departure from what Mercedes has been doing with the C-Class and the S-Class as of late.
Finally, the power units. Expect to get a wide range of mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid options for day-to-day use. As far as the more performance-oriented AMG versions are concerned, while it’s way too early to speculate, some form of electrification is probably a given.
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