[dropcap]N[/dropcap]ew Mercedes-Benz E-Class has arrived Nigerian luxury automobile showrooms, courtesy of Weststar Associates Limited, sole general distributor of the German brand in Nigeria.
In a statement made available to Motoring World early this week, Weststar described the new machine as a proof that Mercedes-Benz is committed to transforming not just automobiles, but the very idea of mobility itself, adding that the new “E-class is one of the most technologically sophisticated automobiles in the world today, with major steps taken towards an accident-free and autonomous driving future.”
How true is that?
Styling
The new E-Class’ exterior comes with a sweeping new front and rear design, with noticeable elements like new radiator grille, sliding tinted glass sunroof, striking new LED headlamps, optional 17-19 inch5-spoke wheels, muscular rear shoulders and glistening LED tail lamps, which offer an extraordinary sporty stance in the E300.
Compared with its predecessor, the new E-class is 1.7 inches longer, with a longer wheel base of 2.6 inches and more boot space of 34.8 liters.
Power
While all variants of the new model are equipped with eco start-stop function, the E200 comes with a 2litre 4-cylinder petrol engine at 135kW (184hp) with a torque of 300 Newton Meters (nm). While the E-300 is powered by a 4-cylinder petrol engine rated at 180 kW (245 hp) with a torque of 370 nm and the E 400 4MATIC, has a six-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 245 kW (333 hp) with a torque of 480 nm. A nine-speed automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels on standard models, while 4Matic models feature all-wheel drive.
Interior
On the inside, the E-class adopts a similar interior design as the flagship S-Class, with a bold horizontal layout stretching from door to door, featuring amazing 64-color range of ambience lighting, new steering-wheel touch control buttons, console scroll button and touch pad, standard ash wood trim that spans across the dashboard to the door panels and 12.3 inch screens that house the COMAND® online platform as well as the instrumental cluster. The car also comes with wide variety of seating packages, including fully electric seats with memory function, climatized seats for the driver/passenger for reversed ventilation, active multi-contour seats with massage function and seat comfort package with electro-pneumatic 4-way lumbar support.
Safety
Standard safety features for all 2017 Mercedes E-Class models include antilock brakes, stability and traction control, driver drowsiness monitor, front-seat side airbags, front pelvic airbags, side curtain airbags, a driver knee airbag, and the Pre-Safe system that locks down seat belts, adjusts the front passenger seat and closes windows when a collision is imminent. Also included is Mbrace telematics system, offering smartphone integration and web-based apps that include remote controls, driver monitoring and emergency services. The convertible additionally features automatically deploying rollover hoops.
A Pre-Safe Sound system is also included, with ability to reduce hearing damage by emitting a specific noise before a collision that triggers a muscle reflex in the inner ear to reduce hearing damage. An optional Pre-Safe Impulse Side system detects impending side impacts and inflates a chamber in the front outboard seat bolsters to move the occupant farther from the door. The Pre-Safe Plus option protects passengers in a similar fashion as the standard Pre-Safe system but is activated by impeding rear collisions. It also applies the brakes to prevent secondary collisions.
Other safety options include a rearview or surround-view camera, rear-seat side airbags, forward collision warning and mitigation, active or passive blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and automated parking systems.
The bigger engines homologated for the Nigerian market, such as the E300 and E400 will be available in the fourth quarter of the year.
Last Words
Considering all its intelligent drive technology and advanced safety features, the cutting-edge luxury sports sedan, E-Class, is, no doubt, one of the most distinguished midsize luxury sedans rolled into the year 2017 and therefore right machine for luxury-loving Nigerians.
