Mercedes-Benz Malaysia ushers in a new era of intelligence and luxury with the unveiling of the two new sporty vehicles as part of the new E-Class. This new range features major facelifts with a more dynamic appearance matched with a higher level of intelligence features, portraying a new attitude of luxury in its line of powerful yet sleek automobiles. It’s time to meet the new E 200 Avantgarde and E 300 AMG Line.

“The new locally-assembled Mercedes-Benz E-Class continues to set the standards in automotive luxury,” said Sagree Sardien, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia. “It has gone through several stages of redefinition over the years to maintain the variety of top-class innovations, memorable highlights and a luxurious, stylish interior with high-value perception. The new E-Class creates history by going the extra mile in the evolution of safety, comfort, and performance while upholding the standards of design and luxury. Customers will get to experience, first-hand, the latest-in-class luxury and performance as well as superior technology.”

A new attitude

According to Mercedes-Benz, the E 200 Avantgarde features an engine capacity of 1,991 cc, and is able to reach the century sprint in 7.4 seconds, with a top speed of 240 km. It also has a combined fuel consumption of 6.9-6.5-litres per 100 km, and a maximum output of 197 hp at 5,500 – 6,100 rpm, with its peak torque at 320Nm at 1,650 – 4,000 rpm.

For something with a bit more kick, the E 300 AMG Line goes from 0-100 km in 6.2 seconds, with a  top speed of 250 km per hour. It has a maximum output of 258 hp at 5,800 – 6,100 rpm and peak torque of 370 Nm at 1,800 – 4,000 rpm.

Available in two new paint colours – Grey Metallic and High-Tech Silver, the exterior of the new E-Class reflects its enhanced dynamics, ensuring an agile overall impression. As standard, the E 200 comes with an attractive Avantgarde exterior, which significantly emphasises the dynamism and elegance of the car. A sleek new grille with newly-designed LED high performance headlamps and tail lights equip the vehicle, coupled with pronounced power domes on the bonnet and 18-inch 5-twin light alloy wheels.

As for the AMG Line on the E 300, it features a new bumper in the style of the AMG Performance model, and comes fitted with 19-inch AMG 5-twin-spoke light alloy wheels. Its multi-beam LED headlamps also get an upgrade, now to include Ultra Range High Beam.

The E-Class rear end also gets a new bumper, split tail lamps, and a new boot lid, alongside a revised inner design of the tail lights for all the models.

Improved intelligence

As the driver ventures inside the new E-Class, they are immediately greeted by the new multifunction steering wheel in genuine leather. The control surfaces sport a high-gloss black finish, while the trim elements and surroundings have a light longitudinal-grain aluminium trim in the E 200 Avantgarde, while the E 300 AMG Line sports an open-pore black ash wood trim.

As the driver ventures inside the new E-Class, they are immediately greeted by the new multifunction steering wheel in genuine leather. The control surfaces sport a high-gloss black finish, while the trim elements and surroundings have a light longitudinal-grain aluminium trim in the E 200 Avantgarde, while the E 300 AMG Line sports an open-pore black ash wood trim.

The instrument cluster and media display are now easily controlled with a swipe of the Touch Control buttons – whose operating principle has changed from optical to capacitive. As far as entertainment goes, the new E-Class boasts the latest generation of the MBUX multimedia system displayed in the Widescreen Cockpit which includes two 12.3-inch displays.

Enhanced luxury

Accentuating the sporty aura of the interior is the design of the front seats, which offer strong lateral support and optimal comfort. The seat contour follows the pronounced side bolsters and, depending on the specification, the centre section has sporty transverse or modern longitudinal seams. The E 200 Avantgarde Line gets dressed in ARTICO man-made leather, while the E 300 AMG Line gets a genuine leather treatment – both of which the colours of the centre sections of the seat backrest and cushion are matched to the overall sculpture of the seats.

A new standard of safety

The new E-Class also features the latest generation of Mercedes-Benz driving assistance systems in order to achieve an especially high level of active safety. This includes having the hands-off recognition to now work on a capacitive basis. The new steering wheel features a pad with sensors in the rim, allowing the car to kickstart a warning cascade that leads to the activation of Emergency Brake Assist if the driver is inactive and does not have their hands on the steering wheel for a certain amount of time. Active Brake Assist is also included as a standard in the E-Class, allowing for autonomous braking to prevent or lessen the severity of accidents.

Other features include Active Parking Assist with PARKTRONIC and a 360° camera on the E 300 AMG Line, making it possible for the car to enter and leave parking space automatically. For the first time, the new E-Class is able to recognise and use parking spaces that are only marked as areas on larger sites.

To top it all off, the E-Class has enhanced its security features with all-round monitoring using the URBAN GUARD Vehicle Protection package, which is comprised of an anti-theft alarm system plus tow-away protection which detects changes in position. Visual and audible warnings are given when there’s movement in the vehicle interior – notifying the driver of theft or parking damage detection through the Mercedes me app.

So how much does it cost to own one of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class vehicles? The retail price of the E 200 Avantgarde without insurance is RM326,943.19, while the E 300 AMG Line for RM375,432.19. More details can be found online on the Mercedes-Benz Malaysia website.

Photos: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia