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New 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Leaked

Mercedes-Benz will officially unveil the new E-Class at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS).
2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 32 photos
Photo: Auto-Medienportal.Net/Daimler
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Until then, the car’s photo gallery was generously leaked online by the guys at Auto-Presse. So, let’s take a closer look at the tenth generation E-Class as shown in the soon-to-be official press shots.

The car’s design bears a strong resemblance to the lines shown by the C-Class and the S-Class. Mercedes-Benz naturally adapted the design of this model to the one shown by its other sedan siblings and left the E-Class without its previous identity.

The car now looks just like you’d expect of a model fitted in between the C-Class and the S-Class. Mercedes’ German counterparts apply the same “Matryoshka” effect on their ranges, so why shouldn’t the Stuttgart-born brand do it as well?

The new E-Class is 43 mm longer than its predecessor and has had its wheelbase increased by 65 mm. The difference between the length and the wheelbase is made by shorter front and back overhangs.

However, the designers managed to make the hood rather long and still pulled off an elegant look, just like most of its predecessors had. What’s left to be seen is whether the new look will stand the test of time, but we’ll only know the answer to this in ten years or so.

The 4,923 mm (193.8 in) body has a drag coefficient of only 0.23, and serious weight-saving measures have been applied to make the new E-Class as light as it can be. Thanks to the improved aerodynamic specs, the car will provide less noise at highway speeds and improved fuel economy.

The guys at Mercedes-Benz didn’t settle for aerodynamic tweaks to lower the perceived decibels inside, so the new E-Class features better soundproofing and improved NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) characteristics.

At launch, the new E-Class will be available with several engine options. The entry in the MY 2017 E-Class range will be the E200, fitted with a four-cylinder gasoline engine. Its diesel equivalent will be the E220d, which features an all-new four-cylinder unit.

According to Auto Presse, the only transmission available at launch will be the 9G-Tronic automatic.

After the initial launch, other engine options will be available. Among them, Mercedes-Benz will offer a plug-in hybrid called the E350e, good for around 30 kilometers (18,6 miles) of 100% electric driving. The E350e is said to provide a hybrid drivetrain with 279 HP and 600 Nm (442 lb-ft) of torque on tap. Obviously, the AMG division is hard at work on the upcoming E63, expected to be shown in a few months from now.

The interior of the new E-Class looks more like the one in the S-Class than the one of its smaller brothers. Depending on the equipment level and the design line chosen, several trim and color options are available. The top trim features two large displays, each with a 12.3 inch diagonal. The driver can switch between the three available styles for the design of the digital gauges. The visual effect of these is impressive since the two displays are merged under a cover glass and a single bump in the dash. The entry-level trim doesn’t look as sharp.

The technology package of the new E-Class also features the first touch controls offered on a steering wheel. They respond to vertical and lateral “swiping” movements. Also in the technology field, the MY 2017 E-Class features a semi-autonomous driving mode capable of switching lanes and handling more complex driving tasks than the previous Distronic could.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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