The coupe—the real, two-door variety—is alive and well at Mercedes-Benz. The latest evidence is the redesigned two-door now joining the new W213-generation E-class lineup[1] to bring the middle child in step with its C- and S-class siblings.
At first glance, you could be forgiven for confusing this new E-class for its stablemates, given the flowing design language shared by all three. That's not a dig, as the E-class preserves much of the beauty of the larger S-class despite its slightly shrunken proportions. While the familiar front end with its "diamond" grille is hardly groundbreaking, the E-class coupe's clean body sides and B-pillar-less side glass combine with an uncluttered rear end to make for a beautifully smooth profile.
Creating Space
Moving away from the C-class–derived underpinnings of the previous E-class coupe[2], the new E coupe now shares more with the E sedan, widening the size gap between it and the smaller model. Riding on a 4.4-inch-longer wheelbase, the new coupe is five inches longer overall, three inches wider, and an inch and a half taller than its predecessor, and its 190.0-inch length now neatly splits the difference between the 184.5-inch C-class[3] and the 197.9-inch S-class[4]. Mercedes says that rear-seat room increases commensurately, with the two individual chairs back there providing better leg- and headroom than before.
The engine lineup for the U.S. market also seems poised to put some distance between the E- and the C-class. While the E300 sedan available on our shores shares its turbocharged four-cylinder with the C300[5], the two-door E will be offered only as an E400. As it does on the E-class wagon[6], this moniker signifies a standard twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 making 329 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. This same engine was installed in the previous E400 coupe, but a new nine-speed automatic transmission replaces the previous seven-speed for improved acceleration and improved fuel economy, claims Mercedes. Rear-wheel-drive and 4MATIC all-wheel-drive versions will be offered, and Mercedes says the RWD E400 gets from zero to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, 0.9 second quicker than the company's claim for the outgoing model.
The coupe's ride height is lower than the sedan's, and an air suspension is optional. A Sport package (the white car in the photos) adds a body kit, AMG wheels, and an AMG steering wheel. Those desiring an even sportier E-class coupe will have to wait a bit longer for a full AMG version; there's no official word on one yet, although a V-8–powered E63 coupe won't be in the cards. Instead, the AMG coupe will be powered by one of Mercedes-Benz's new turbocharged inline-six engines[7], possibly with around 450 horsepower, meant to sit above AMG's own E43 sedan variant, which has a more powerful version of the E400's turbocharged V-6.
Techy Treats
A full array of high-tech features will be available in the coupe, as they are in the E-class sedan. The sedan's 12.3-inch central COMAND screen is standard on the two-door, and a second 12.3-inch digital instrument-cluster display is optional. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included on models equipped with navigation, and there's a wireless inductive charging pad for compatible smartphones as well. Automatic emergency braking is standard equipment, while the more advanced Drive Pilot semi-autonomous system is available.
Pricing will be announced closer to the E-class's U.S. launch next summer, but customers should expect to pay a premium for its extra dose of style and power compared with the E300 sedan, which starts at $53,075.
References
- ^ E-class lineup (www.caranddriver.com)
- ^ the previous E-class coupe (www.caranddriver.com)
- ^ the 184.5-inch C-class (www.caranddriver.com)
- ^ the 197.9-inch S-class (www.caranddriver.com)
- ^ the C300 (www.caranddriver.com)
- ^ the E-class wagon (www.caranddriver.com)
- ^ new turbocharged inline-six engines (blog.caranddriver.com)
