'Until we see full autonomy, this is as close to a self-driving car as you can get.'
LET'S pretend for a moment that Mercedes served food.
The C-Class would be fancy pizza with rocket and parmesan salad.
The 'very tasty' Mercedes E-ClassThe S-Class would be lobster and caviar washed down with champagne.
And somewhere in the middle would be E-Class.
An all-you-can-eat Sunday dinner that's crammed full and overspilling.
Roast beef, pork, potatoes, Yorkshire puds, honey-roasted parnsips and all the trimmings.
It's almost too much to digest — so let's break it down. Starting with that giant screen.
Nobody will sit in this car and say: "Well, that's a bit rubbish."
It's the piece de resistance. The ballerina in a musical jewellery box. And it's wide enough to give your local IMAX the hump.
Not known refer to copyright holder
Next up, luxury.
Think £40,000 Rolls-Royce here. As demanding as a spa.
The air-con has its own fragrance and there's umpteen massage settings. Heated seats? Pah. Even the ARMRESTS are heated.
And look at the quality of that cabin.
How that wavy wooden dash — dotted with turbine-style vents — links into the doors. Class.
As close to a self-driving car as you can getThen there's the technology.
Until we see full autonomy, this is as close to a self-driving car as you can get.
Pull the stalk once — like flashing your headlights — to activate feet-off-the-pedals adaptive cruise control. It will stop-and-go in traffic, keeping a set distance to the car in front.
Pull the stalk twice in quick succession and that adds speed limit recognition. It automatically alters the car's speed to the road signs — saving your licence.
This car can even overtake on its own.
Pure classThere's more too.
Heated windscreen wipers with sprinkler-jet-style holes that are efficient (obviously, it's German) and ensure a clean sweep in one go.
The reversing camera hidden behind the badge on the boot so it doesn't get dirty. (It only pops out when you select reverse.)
This car is sprinkled with magic. The E-Class family is now available in five flavours — four-door saloon, estate, jacked-up all-terrain, coupé and cabriolet.
Keyfacts: MERCEDES E-CLASS
- Price: £40,135
- Engine: E 220 d 2-litre diesel 194hp
- Economy: 61mpg
- 0-62mph: 7.4 secs
- Top speed: 150mph
- Emissions: 119g/km
- Out: April
But I'd adopt the coupé tested here.
It's a handsome thing and it's only available in the high-spec AMG Line with nine-speed auto in the UK.
Most will go for the E 220 d (2-litre diesel) but the sporty E 400 4MATIC (3-litre V6 petrol) is 333hp and nails 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds. Hotter AMG E 43 to follow.
VERDICT: Tasty. Very tasty.
