Mercedes E-Class 2014 updates announced
Mercedes updates the E-Class, adding improved standard kit, more power and lower emissions – on sale from September
Following 2013’s major facelift, Mercedes has once again set about improving the E-Class, albeit on a less radical scale this time around. On sale from September, there’s now improved standard kit across the range, with all variants also benefiting from more power, lower emissions and the German brand’s new 9G-Tronic gearbox.
Developed in-house, the nine-speed automatic transmission will be paired as standard to the E350 BlueTEC engine in the saloon, estate, coupe and cabriolet. It sees CO2 emissions drop by up to 17g/km, with the coupe leading the way, releasing only 136g/km. Economy has seen a similar improvement, too, resulting in up to 5.4mpg more depending on the model in question, all of which has been achieved alongside the addition of an extra 6bhp, taking total output up to 254bhp.
It’s a similar story for the entry-level E220 BlueTEC auto, even though it keeps the existing 7G-Tronic ‘box: power is up 7bhp to 175bhp, CO2 is down by as much as 16g/km and economy reaching a claimed 64.2mpg. The cabriolet breaks the frugal trend though, and now emits an extra 3g/km and manages 1.2mpg less, now hitting 129g/km and 57.7mpg
Moving further up the range to the Cabriolet and Coupe’s flagship E400 AMG Sport spec, Mercedes has taken the opportunity to rename this trim AMG Line, whilst also increasing the V6 engine’s capacity from 3.0-litre to 3.5-litres. Emissions here drop by an average of 16g/km CO2, so that the cabriolet now releases 168g/km and the coupe 161g/km, both managing roughly 40mpg.
Every new E-Class will gain Collision Prevention Assist Plus as standard, too, designed to avoid and reduce the impact of collisions. This includes autonomous braking tech that works at up to 62mph should the driver fail to respond, and can also respond to stationary vehicles at up to 30mph, or else prevent rear-end accidents at up to 24mph.
Optional extras include the Premium and Premium Plus packs, which Mercedes claims will save customers 27 percent over purchasing each item separately. For the saloon, the £2,695 Premium Package adds a panoramic sunroof, split folding rear seats, reversing camera and Memory Package. Premium Plus costs an further £1,200, and throws in Keyless Go, the Comfort Pack and a more sophisticated sound system.
Both of these come in at slightly less when fitted to the Estate, costing £2,395 and £3,495 respectively, as the split folding seats and powered bootlid is already standard.
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