The 214 series E-Class may not be to everyone's liking from the standpoint of exterior design, especially when it comes to the headlights and taillights. Look beyond these details, and you'll realize that Mercedes used every trick in the book to make it the best E-Class of them all.
Likely the final generation to feature internal combustion engines, the 214 is rocking the MRA II platform of the C-Class and S-Class. An evolution of the original modular rear-wheel-drive architecture, the MRA II was designed with mild-hybrid powertrains in mind. As opposed to the compact-sized 206 series, the 214 is available with both four- and six-cylinder mills.
The US lineup consists of the E 350 4MATIC and E 450 4MATIC, with the latter designation referring to all-wheel drive. Merc highlights that 4MATIC has been improved for the sixth-generation E-Class in two noticeable ways. For starters, the system is lighter, therefore resulting in reduced carbon dioxide emissions. And secondly, the front axle drive was designed to take more torque whenever the driving conditions call for it.
Connected to the 9G-Tronic automatic transmission, the four- and six-cylinder turbo lumps in the 350 and 450 are backed up by a transmission-integrated electric motor. The power electronics and transmission cooler have been moved into or adjacent to the torque-converter transmission as well. Merc highlights yet again that weight has been cut wherever possible to keep the car's overall weight low to improve fuel efficiency.
Over in the Old Continent, the W214 can be had in six flavors, beginning with the 220 d four-cylinder turbo diesel. The remainder consists of the 220 d 4MATIC, 200, 300 e, 300 e 4MATIC, and range-topping 400 e 4MATIC. The curb weight for the European model ranges between 1,825 kilograms (4,023 pounds) for the 200 to a whopping 2,265 kilograms (4,993 pounds) for the 300 e 4MATIC and 400 e 4MATIC. It's a bit of a chonker, alright! On the upside, rear-axle steering is certain to make the 214 sedan feel light on its… uhm… tires in low- and high-speed driving scenarios as well.
At the lowest end of the spectrum, the E 200 with its mild-hybrid 2.0L turbo makes do with 204 ps and 320 Nm of torque, plus 23 ps and 205 Nm in boost mode. In old money, that means 201 and 23 horsepower, and 236 and 151 pound-feet, respectively. The E 400 e 4MATIC is the most powerful and torquiest of the bunch at 381 ps and 650 Nm total system output (376 horsepower and 479 pound-feet). The all-electric range champion, however, is the rear-wheel-drive E 300 e with up to 115 kilometers (71 miles) to its name in the WLTP.
The 0.23 drag coefficient wouldn't have been possible without the weird-looking headlights, which are joined by a black panel that connects the radiator grille to them. Longer in wheelbase than its predecessor, the E-Class further wows on the inside with MBUX Superscreen.
Video streaming is possible on the front passenger display, and the interior camera system uses a filtering concept to ensure that the driver cannot see the content on the front passenger screen while driving. The MBUX infotainment system is another strong point of the E-Class due to more powerful hardware designed for improved performance in every respect. For example, the 5G communication module is completely standard.
You can also run Angry Birds or TikTok directly from the MBUX infotainment system, which is both awesome and somewhat worrying at the same time given the distracting nature of these apps. Unfortunately for prospective customers, the German automaker hasn't yet shared any information on the upcoming AMG models.
Series production of the W214 will be split between Sindelfingen in Germany and Beijing in China. More information on the European spec can be found in the attached PDF, whereas the American spec is covered in the press release below.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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