Mercedes-Benz E-Class All Terrain Shows Up in Traffic, Gets Closer to Production

Audi, Subaru and Volvo have been playing the jacked-up station wagon game fro quite some time now. With the niche growing, Mercedes-Benz wants a slice of the pie and with the tenth generation of the E-Class allowing the automaker to fully exploit its pillar model's potential, the timing is just right.

The test car seen here is still wearing its front end cladding, but, judging by the details on the rest of the vehicle, it's obvious that we're nearing the moment when the X213-codenamed E derivative makes its public debut - while a late 2016 launch ins't excluded, the go-anywhere E-Class is more likely to show up in the first half of next year.

The generous ground clearance allows the All Terrain to overcome an issue that can sometimes affect the standard E-Class, be it a sedan or a T-Modell, namely the mainstream feel delivered by the low-trim taxis or fleet vehicles.

As Audi's Allroad efforts have demonstrated, the entry-level powerplants will probably be skipped when the engine line-up for the lifted T-Modell is built. However, with the German automaker rumored to make its straight-six return in 2017, expect the E-Class All Terrain to be one of the models that benefit from this, while 4Matic all-wheel-drive will be standard. Don't expect Affalterbach to include this model on its list of goodies, though.

When it comes to the U.S. market introduction, it's still to early to tell whether Mercedes-Benz wants to educate American consumers regarding avoiding the heavy feel of an SUV or will wait for the lifted wagon market to develop further before jumping the bandwagon.