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Spyshots: 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Fully Revealed Ahead of Detroit Debut

The interior of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been seen before, but this is the first time we've been able to show you the entire dashboard of this exquisite newcomer to the German luxury sedan family, without any messy camouflage or engineers hurrying to cover things up.
2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos 14 photos
Photo: SB-Medien
2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior Revealed Spy Photos
As we've grown accustomed to, the E-Class has pretty much everything the S-Class came with when it made its relatively recent debut. The odd feature is the way in which they've changed the entire dashboard configuration to an extra-wide screen. We don't know how we feel about it, especially the awkward shape of the binnacle covering it. Half of it is going to mimic the instrument cluster and the other is going to work as navigation and infotainment system. Hopefully, they fixed the obvious resolution differences between the screens.

We've actually seen this entire dashboard configuration before, on the IAA concept that Mercedes-Benz showcased at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. The four air vents in the middle and even the awkwardly placed clock have carried over, as you can see in the adjacent image. The IAA was intentionally designed as a sort of Easter egg, revealing the next Mercedes interior design language.

The new E-Class is almost completely undisguised because it should debut next month (technically, next year) at the Detroit Auto Show.

On the outside, the E-Class tries to do its own design thing without copying the S-Class. For example, those two contour lines that travel down the side are still there, but they never try to meet towards the back. It's not exactly a sportscar with four wheels, but neither are the C- or S-Class, for that matter.

Speaking of sibling similarities, the W213 E-Class is going to be based on the same MRA platform as the W205 C-Class sedan. Through clever engineering and the use of better metal alloys, the car is expected to shed as much as 220 pounds (100 kg), depending on the model. The wheelbase will be stretched slightly while the front overhang will shrink.

We are eagerly awaiting the debut of the 2017 E-Class because it's long been earmarked to receive brand new engines. Like BMW, Mercedes is reportedly developing a family of modular turbocharged units centered around the displacement of 0.5-liter per cylinder.

We're keeping our fingers crossed that, by next month, we will be able to say goodbye to the old 2.1-liter diesel engine. But the rumors suggest the changes will go much deeper than that, as an inline-six 2.9-liter diesel engine will reportedly gain lots of turbochargers to compete with Audi and BMW.

Mercedes has long fallen behind the pack when it comes to six-cylinder diesel engines, but the general trend of the market seems to be steering away from diesels after the Volkswagen scandal. Hybrids? Yes, buy Lexus will even go as far as to introduce a fuel-cell version of the LS flagship. Considering Mercedes has been playing with the F-Cell technology for about two decades, it could turn into a very interesting eco brawl.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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