Mercedes-Benz lends first look at E-Class facelift

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz has released the first pictures of the disguised E-Class sedan facelift version which is set for an official debut at the Geneva International Motor Show in March. The company has also revealed the car’s powertrain and new features. 

The W213-generation E-Class was introduced in 2016 and is already due for a midlife facelift. The refreshed E-Class is equipped with the adaptive Drive Pilot cruise control system which now has route-based speed adjustment. It automatically slows down the car before a tailback, even if the same is out of sight.

The Stuttgart-headquartered company claims that the car reduces speed to around 62mph to avoid sudden and harsh braking. The car also has a low-speed smart cruising capability in start-stop traffic situations with maximum speed at 40mph. Mercedes-Benz claims that the car’s active-steering system helps in forming a rescue lane on multi-lane roads. 

The new E-Class will make the predictable witch to the MBUX infotainment system. It includes a Siri-like ability for voice input activation. The system has already been experienced in other Mercedes-Benz models.

While Mercedes-Benz has not released any pictures of the car’s interior, the biggest change will be a fully redesigned steering wheel, already seen on the prototype of the S-Class facelift. The bottom of the V-spoke design directly flows towards the side-spoke inner edges that now look sharper. The center hub of the steering wheel is now smaller and offers increased visibility of the digital instrument cluster.

The facelift Mercedes-Benz E-Class will be hauled by a new four-cylinder, 2.0-liter turbocharged engine which has a 48-volt, integrated starter-generator. The motor produces 268 bhp which goes up to 288 bhp with short-term electrical assistance. The company has announced that the new facelift E-Class will get a 48-volt hybrid unit of the six-cylinder, 3.0-liter engine. It will produce 362 bhp and 369 lb-ft peak torque. With the additional hybrid power, the output will reach up to 382 bhp. 

Deliveries of the E-Class facelift are expected to commence in mid-2020.

Also read: Mercedes-Benz reveals Avatar-inspired concept car at CES 2020