2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class to be revealed at Detroit motor show

The fifth-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class will be revealed at January's Detroit show before going on sale in the summer

The all-new Mercedes-Benz E-Class will be revealed at the Detroit motor show in January, design chief Gorden Wagener has confirmed to Autocar.

Speaking at the LA motor show, where Mercedes has unveiled a heavily facelifted SL and the GLS, Wagener said the Mercedes board gave final sign off to the new saloon at an event in Spain last week.

He promised an “all-new design” for the E-Class that is “much more beautiful and modern” than the current car, and “much cleaner than even the C-Class and S-Class”. He also said the car would have dramatic rear-wheel drive proportions, with a cab back design, long bonnet, huge wheels at each corner, and a new ‘cat walk’ line that ran across the whole side of the body rather than dropping away.

“All Mercedes should have a glamour factor when you pull up, and this has it,” said Wagener.

An even bigger shift forward is the design of the interior, which Wagener says “moves forward two generations” compared to the current E-class. Indeed, he said stepping back in the current E-class after sitting in the new one would be “like going back to the stone age”.

Inside there are two large 12in “glossy” screens, a similar design to the S-class. Wagener said the front seats were “beautiful, a work of art” and there are premium, luxurious materials throughout. He said the rear cabin was more spacious with, “a luxurious, modern style” and “like a chauffeur car”.

Wagener also promised a whole range of new E-class models, which would follow the templates the C-class and S-class families. So expect a sleek estate, dramatic coupe and cabriolet, and a sporty E63 AMG model, something Wagener said prototype versions of which should be ready by next summer.

Final testing under way for new E-Class

The new saloon was recently spotted almost undisguised as final testing continues.

The front end remained covered on the latest test mule, but the styling appears to be consistent with the C-Class and the last facelift of the E-Class, with large slanted headlights and a wide, three-bar grille.

However, Mercedes is expected to follow the same format as other recent models and offer two front end treatments, so a traditional chrome grille will be available alongside a more sporting blade grille. Sources suggest the aerodynamics have been refined so that the drag coefficient has improved from 0.25 to a class-leading 0.23.

The new-generation model, codenamed W213, adopts Mercedes’ modular MRA platform, as used by the latest C-Class and S-Class models. Insiders confirm it will once again grow in size, to about 4950mm long and 1940mm wide. The estate variant, offering a similar 695-litre luggage capacity to its predecessor, is due to go on sale towards the end of 2016. The increased use of high-strength steel and aluminium is claimed to make both versions up to 100kg lighter than today’s.

The E-Class will have a new generation of four-cylinder diesel engines, codenamed OM654, alongside existing four-cylinder petrol engines. The new 2.0-litre diesel is expected to be offered in two states of tune.

Mercedes will extend the line-up during 2016 with a new generation of 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesels. New six-pot petrol engines are also planned.

The new six-cylinder petrol engine (codenamed M256) and diesel engine (codenamed OM656) are undergoing pilot production at the company’s factory in Unterturkheim, near Stuttgart in Germany.

They share elements of their architecture with Mercedes' existing four-cylinder petrol engine, the M274, including their 90mm bore centre spacing and 500cc individual cylinder volume.

All three units form part of a new modular engine family that, sources say, also include a three-cylinder petrol engine and a new-generation four-cylinder diesel (codenamed OM654).

The three-cylinder petrol is scheduled to be offered in future generations of the A-Class, B-Class, CLA, GLA and possibly other front-wheel drive models in combination with an electric motor.

The new four-cylinder diesel, which replaces the OM651 unit in use today, gains the latest in piezo-guided direct injection. It is planned to be used across the Mercedes line-up in models ranging from the A-Class to the S-Class. Both engines are considered crucial to the German car maker’s efforts to meet the 95g/km fleet average CO2 emissions regulation due to come into force in 2020.

An E350e plug-in hybrid, with a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine and an electric motor, will join the range within a year of launch. It’s said to have an electric-only range of 20 miles. 

Later next year, a new E63 will crown the line-up. It is set to get a reworked version of AMG’s twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 in two states of tune, with top-end versions having around 600bhp. All engines, save for the AMG V8, will come with Mercedes’ 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic gearbox as standard. Alongside standard rear-wheel drive, selected engines will be offered with optional four-wheel drive.

The E-Class rides on newly developed suspension that features variable-rate damping. Revised AirMatic air suspension will be standard on higher-level models.

The new E-Class is due to receive the latest in autonomous driving technology. Nothing is confirmed, but officials hint that it will offer a function that will allow it to autonomously accelerate, brake, change lanes and overtake up to a pre-determined speed. High-end options will include a full range of self-parking functions.