The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been crowned Irish Car of the Year 2017 by Ireland’s leading motor journalists. This announcement was made at the recent Irish Car of the Year awards in association with Continental Tyres. We drove the new E-Class recently for a week-long evaluation. From the outset, the new E-Class impresses, particularly in the AMG line of our test car, with a smart appearance up front boasting a large star inset to the grille. The exhaust tailpipes are neatly wrapped in a chrome surround flush with the lower rear bumper, it’s a clean modern look that will appeal to a more youthful customer.
Three style and equipment lines are offered, Avantgarde, Exclusive and AMG with prices commencing from €52,850. The entry-level Avantgarde benefits from over €7,000 worth of standard features in comparison to its predecessor. Some of these include, parking pilot assist, heated front seats, full leather upholstery, reversing camera, LED static lights, satellite navigation, mirror pack, ambient lighting, stowage pack, seat comfort pack, alarm park and a ‘connect me’ function. The interior is more akin to an S-Class than an E-Class with a new dashboard design and increased space. You can opt for two high-resolution 12.3-inch display screens in place of the traditional instrument clusters. The front seats in our E220d are extremely supportive and comfortable on a long journey. The flat-bottomed sporty steering wheel features two touch-sensitive finger swipe buttons which control a wide range of features including the trip meter and infotainment system.
Powering this variant is a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine that produces 194hp along with a stern 400Nm of torque. It’s a quiet motor and extremely efficient, we found the power to be sufficient for the vast majority of drives. Further models include an E350d, an E350e hybrid and in 2017 an E63 AMG, although unfortunately we don’t expect to see too many of these on Irish roads anytime soon. The nine-speed automatic transmission works in unison with the 2.0-litre turbodiesel unit under the bonnet, it offers a smooth gear change aiding to the relaxed drive on offer. The driver can choose from five driving modes, comfort, eco, sport, sport + and individual. One feature on our test car is the full parking pack, this includes a 360-degree camera view, the car will automatically park itself into a parking space with ease. It controls the steering, throttle, brake and even changes automatically from forward to reverse while manoeuvring into a parking space. Unlike some similar systems we have previously experienced this clever system will automatically drive the car out of the parking space too, ensuring the 19-inch AMG alloys remain in pristine condition.
This new Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a tech-laden saloon that’s offers excellent modern safety and convenience features, all wrapped in a stylish package. It’s suitably equipped to compete with the likes of Audi’s A6, the BMW 5 Series, Jaguar’s XF and the Lexus GS 300h, It’s also a worthy receiver of the Irish Car of the Year award, congratulations to all at Mercedes-Benz.
Technical Specification
Engine Size 1950cc
Fuel Type Diesel
Power 194hp
Torque 400Nm
Acceleration (0-100km/h) 7.3 seconds
Top Speed 240 km/h
Consumption (Combined) 4.3L/100km
CO2 Emissions 112g/km
Road Tax Band A4 €200
Base Price €52,850
Price as Tested €63,758
