Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2013 News

The new generation E63 is still at least two years away but the German car maker is in the middle of development.In the US, the E63 is sold exclusively with all-wheel-drive and in Germany, where both rear-drive and all-wheel-drive are available, more than 90 per cent of customers opt for all-wheel-drive.“Where we have both (rear-drive and all-wheel-drive) on sale, the demand is so tremendous that we have 94 to 96 per cent all-wheel-drive,” said the boss of Mercedes-Benz AMG Tobias Moers, speaking at the European media preview of the new C63 AMG.“In the US we just have the (all-wheel-drive) system and it was a story of success, and if we see what happened in Germany, where we had both variants in the market, then you have to move business-wise into one variant.”He said this meant “there is no argument to have both variants any more”.There is no argument to have both variants any more.But he said fans should not worry that the next E63 will lose its character.“If we have a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system in the car which provides a nice drifting behaviour then it’s ok,” he said. “All-wheel-drive systems are getting better and better … we have a lot ideas for the future.”Previously, all-wheel-drive versions of the E63 were not available in Australia as it was developed for left-hand-drive only.“The future architecture is feasible for right-hand-drive all-wheel-drive,” said Moers.

Volvo is getting ready to join the V8 Supercars next year – fielding two S60 sedans under the banner of Volvo Polestar Racing in partnership with Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM).However the Swedish brand is already thinking about increasing the number of cars the following year. In 2014, Volvo’s racers -- Scott McLaughlin and a second one yet to be named – will pilot their two cars Holden’s 13 Commodores, Ford's six Falcons, four Nissan Altimas and three Mercedes-Benz E63 AMGS.But Volvo's global motorsport boss Derek Crabb said the prospect of having more S60s appealed to him. "Clearly, the more cars on the grid, the more exposure Volvo gets and the more chances Volvo has of getting a win, which we need," Crabb said. "But then you have to put the cost back into it. So yeah, we dream about year two and year three but let's get through year one first."Polestar Racing owner Christian Dahl agreed. "I think if you are going to fight for the championship in the long term, you need more cars out there because there are a lot of Holdens and only two Volvos," Dahl said. "But that is a question for the future." But for the moment Volvo is dealing with GRM’s sponsor since 2010, Fujitsu, announcing yesterday it would not renew its association with the team next year due to a shift in their "commercial focus".However Garry Rogers is optimistic about finding a new sponsor. "Next year's program has generated a lot of interest and we will now be following up all avenues so as to secure suitable commercial business partners to join the GRM team," he said.

Mercedes-Benz has quietly added a new nine-speed automatic to its E-Class range, and the option is likely to arrive in Australia next year. The transmission, labelled a 9G-TRONIC, is selectable on the configurator of the automaker’s German website and so far is only available with E350 BlueTEC trim, where it replaces a previous seven-speed 7G-TRONIC.“We currently don't take the E350 Bluetec but are looking at taking it,” Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says. “Basically we tried to trim the E-Class range, but there is still some demand for the E350 so potentially we'll bring it here.“In terms of the nine-speed flowing through to the rest of the E-Class range, we expect it will happen next year, but the E350 Bluetec is the first application. We also expect the nine-speed to be offered on the new S-Class range, so in a nutshell we could see it here next year but don't have any more accurate timing at the moment.”McCarthy says the arrival of new technology on models that sit below the flagship S-Class -- traditionally the tech leader for Mercedes (and the rest of the industry) -- has been rare but not unknown.“Some of our safety technology was launched first on the B-Class,” he says. “Sure, in the past everything appeared first on the S-Class and then filtered down, but these days the technology is often being developed over more than one vehicle.  And the reality is that you are competing in every segment, so you are considering which other cars to put it in.”Land Rover was the first to announce a nine-speed automatic for one of its cars, a ZF unit designed for transverse applications. However, the Mercedes transmission is designed for longitudinal applications and has been developed in-house.The extra gears are said to yield significant improvements in fuel economy and CO2 emissions. Advantages over dual-clutch units include lighter weight, better reliability, less complexity and cheaper manufacturing and repair costs.In the E350 BlueTEC diesel sedan, which rates at 185 kilowatts, the nine-speed automatic helps the car achieve 0-100km/h acceleration in just 6.6 seconds and fuel economy of 7.7L/100km in the city cycle, up from 8.3L/100km with the previous seven-speeder. The highway figure remains unchanged at 5.6L/100km.The 9G-TRONIC will eventually feature on other Mercedes models, though its availability will be announced at a later date. Numerous other automakers are looking to additional gear ratios to eke out further savings in fuel consumption. The aforementioned ZF ‘box will soon be added to some Chrysler products and Ford and General Motors have announced plans to develop new nine- and ten-speed automatic transmissions together.www.motorauthority.com 

The German manufacturer will start rolling out the four Coupes and three Cabriolet E-Class variants, starting at $79,990, which they say will ‘represent excellent value in the luxury car segment.’“The new E-Class indicates our commitment to safety, technology and equipment without compromise.” Mercedes-Benz spokesman Richard Emery says.Standard features on all E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet variants include Active Park Assist, 19” wheels, parking sensors, keyless entry and push to start, an LED intelligent light system, and an automatic climate control system. The Cabriolet also comes with an ‘Airscarf’ neck-level heating system.The top level E 400 Coupe and Cabriolet both come with a Harmon Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system and 360 degree camera.Mercedes have held true with their commitment to safety, with a host of safety features. Autonomous cruise control with Steering Assist, Active Blind spot assist, collision avoidance system with active pedestrian protection, rear sensors that detect an imminent rear-end collision and Emergency brake assist with Junction assist come standard in all variants.From $79,990 the entry level E 200 Coupe and Cabriolet carries a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, with outputs of 135kW of power and 300Nm of torque. The two consume 6.0 and 6.5L/100km respectively.The E 250 variant has outputs of 155kW and 350Nm of torque – 40Nm more than the previous model. The E 250 CDI Coupe is powered by a two-stage turbocharged diesel engine producing 500Nm of torque, while consuming only 4.7L/100km.The top of the line E 400 Coupe and Cabriolet is powered by a 6-cylinder bi-turbo engine, producing 240kW and 480Nm of torque. The coupe can go from zero to 100km/h in just 5.2 seconds, with the Cabriolet a second slower.

Benz has sent the performance community into a spin with news this morning that it will bring its top of the line 430kW E63 AMG sedan to Australia, despite the fact it can't offer the car with four-wheel drive.The high performance, 5.5-litre Bi-Turbo V8 engined car will not be quite as quick off the line as the four-wheel drive, 4MATIC version in Germany, but in all other respects it will be the same - Aussie buyers won't miss out.Just like the compact GLK off-roader, which has never been offered here, the 4MATIC model is not engineered for right-hand drive countries - a decision that has probably cost Benz millions in lost sales over the past few years. You'd think they would have learned from their mistakes?Although it offers larger, four-wheel drive off-roaders like the M and GL-Class, four-wheel drive versions of its passenger cars are still a couple of years away. That's unfortunate, because in the case of the E63 AMG 4MATIC S model, four-wheel drive is required to get all that power to the ground.With a whopping 430kW of power and 800Nm of torque, it is capable of blasting from 0-100km/h in a Ferrari-like 3.6 seconds. While the rear-wheel drive version of the car that we have been promised will struggle, Benz claims it will still be good for 3.8-3.9 seconds - it hasn't been tested yet.This compares with the standard, 410kW/720Nm rear-wheel drive E63 AMG that will also be sold in Australia which does the dash in 4.2 seconds. Benz describes the new and improved version of its engine as the most efficient series production V8 engine in the world.Along with other design and technological changes to the E-Class range, it should cement the car's place as a leader in the market. A spokesman for Benz Australia says the E63 AMG is an important car to Australia, which has one of the highest up-takes of high performance AMG models in the world - at 7.6 per cent of sales.But they are not for everyone, not at a starting price of $240,000. There's no word on prices for the new model at this stage, except to say the figures will be “assertive.” This also applies the rest of the E Class range which arrives in August.Benz also confirmed this morning that the lineup will include the E300 hybrid diesel, which offers fuel consumption of an incredible 4.1 litres/100km - with no sacrifice in performance. The hybrid with diesel and electric motors produces a combined 170kW of power and 750Nm of torque and is expected to replace the both the E350 and E500 petrol models.The small volume wagon will also continue to be offered, in E250CDI and E400 petrol form, as well as an AMG. No word yet on the coupe and cabriolet which are due later in the year.The spokesman told Carsguide this morning the company was convinced the large car market was far from dead in Australia. He said people were attracted by the size of cars like the E-Class, but wanted smaller, more efficient engines - provided of course they did not have to sacrifice anything in terms of performance.He said they were also popular as they benefited from an effective $6000 discount,  because all of the four cylinder models consume less than 7.0 litres of fuel per 100km. Surprisingly, 80 per cent of E Class sales last year were four cylinder models, either petrol or diesel engines. “It's almost a case of build it and they will come,” he said.This reporter is on Twitter: @IamChrisRiley 

The move has been announced as Mercedes-Benz reacts to the demand for more four-cylinder cars. The E300 diesel-electric hybrid is expected to account for a relatively small 100 cars a year but it’s a vehicle Mercedes had to have, according to company spokesman David McCarthy.“We’ve wanted a hybrid for a long time … customers have told us they want it, now they have to step up to the plate,” he says. McCarthy acknowledges that even large prestige vehicles have been hit by engine downsizing and expects the E300 to satisfy customer demands for frugal economy without affecting performance.“It’s a really challenging market because people aren’t buying this size of car at any price point,” he notes. “They want fuel economy and low emissions but also expect a Mercedes vehicle to perform, so there’s definitely a market for a hybrid like this.”McCarthy adds the E wagon has a loyal customer base that means the company won’t cull it in favour of the CLS Shooting Brake, which is based on the E-Class platform. That is likely to extend to the AMG E63 Estate, despite Benz selling just four in Australia last year.“The E63 wagon may keep going - there’s no crossover between E Estate buyers and CLS owners,” he says. “As far as the (E63) sedan goes, it is our third most popular AMG vehicle, behind the C-Class and ML.”The E-Class range will start with the E200 petrol but the E250 diesel and petrol models will continue to be the volume sellers.”McCarthy says prices and spec are still being finalised ahead of the car’s international launch next month but he predicts little change in cost despite a lift in standard features.

The performance sedan was shown in a group photo of the whole E-Class range, shot on Merc’s test track in Stuttgart. The few details released with the image confirm earlier reports that the E63 AMG will offer the brand’s 4Matic all-wheel drivetrain, however it’s too early to determine if this will make it to Australia. The Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG will arrive here around the third quarter, powered by the current 5.5-litre twin-turbo engine developing 386kW of power and 700Nm of torque – upped to 410kW and 800Nm if you option the Performance Pack – mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. There’s no indication of whether there will be a considerable price rise over the current starting tag of $240,985, but even at the performance end of the range Mercedes will be keen to stay competitive against their German rivals.  

The new standard for mid-sized and mid-priced luxury, even if the bottom end is out of reach for most Australians, is a must-have contender for COTY. It's not as fast as Godzilla or as economical as the Prius, but the E is the car which will set the bar for luxury and comfort and overall refinement.Price: from $96,900Output: 150kW/4200revs, 500Nm/1600-1800revs, 5.3L/100km, 139g/kmMercedes-Benz E-Class: reviewMercedes-Benz E350 E500: reviewMercedes-Benz E63 AMG: reviewMercedes-Benz E-Class coupe: first driveMercedes-Benz E-Class 2009 price and specsACT dealer locationsNSW dealer locationsNT dealer locationsQLD dealer locationsSA dealer locationsTAS dealer locationsVIC dealer locationsWA dealer locations

Benz execs are not talking about the Brabus version of the Coupe because it's not officially sanctioned. But the company has partnered with Brabus in the past to produce other high-performance models including one of the tiny Smart. It makes us wonder whether there may in future be room for two performance lines in the Benz lineup — a move that would surely add much-needed sales? Drivetrain A 6.1-litre Brabus V8 replaces the standard 5.5-litre unit in the top of the line E500 that will be fitted with an AMG kit as standard when it arrives in our showrooms in July. The bigger V8 puts out 340kW of power and boasts an impressive top speed of 315km/h. The 6.1-litre engine is a bored and stroked version of the E500's 5.5-litre V8, with a maximum 340kW of power and 615Nm of torque — the latter available from 3100 revs. It'll do the dash from 0-100km/h in just 4.7 seconds. The increase in engine displacement has been achieved through the installation of a billet crankshaft with longer stroke and larger pistons. The four-valve cylinder heads have also been machined and fitted with custom camshafts. Contributing to the higher power output, the engine management system has been reprogrammed and a sports exhaust system fitted with high-performance metal catalysts. Appearance The Brabus model has also been fitted with an aero kit developed after extensive wind tunnel testing. Further highlights include custom wheels up to 20 inches in diameter, sporty yet comfortable suspension solutions and exclusive interior options. Exterior enhancements include a Brabus front spoiler with LED daytime runners that not only gives the car a more striking appearance, but also reduce lift at high speed. New aluminium front sport quarter panels with integrated clear-coated carbon-fibre inserts have also been added. Together with new rocker panels that incorporate LED entrance lights into their undersides, it give the coupe a lower and sleeker stance. You can also option rockers with an integrated illuminated BRABUS logo. Down the back the Brabus rear apron features a centrally mounted reflector and custom-tailored cutouts either side for the quad tailpipes. One-piece or multi-piece monoblock light-alloy wheels round out the look, ranging in size from 17 to 20 inches. The larger 20-inchers are fitted with Pirelli or Yokohama rubber, shod with 235/30 ZR 20 in front and 265/25 ZR 20 on the rear axle. The list of interior options includes stainless-steel scuff plates with illuminated Brabus logo, an ergonomically shaped sport steering wheel and an entirely new interior crafted from especially soft yet durable Brabus Mastik leather and Alcantara. Platform A variety of suspension solutions are offered, tailored to the various engines available in the new E-Class. The kits range from simple lowering springs to complete height-adjustable coil-over sport suspension. Brabus even offers a high-performance brake package, with six-piston aluminium fixed calipers and 360mm vented and cross-drilled discs on the front axle. The rear axle stops with four-piston aluminium fixed calipers.

The almost unbelievable move of prestige cars carrying small-car engines is being sparked by punishing global fuel and emission regulations. As performance is becoming replaced with economy, Mercedes-Benz is even admitting high-efficient four-cylinder engines may be seen in its S-Class flagship range. For now, the German won't timetable an S-Class four, but has confirmed its new E-Class will hit Australia this year with its entry-level E220 sporting a turbo-diesel four. It is the first time Mercedes has announced a diesel as the base model. The 125kW E220 CDI is expected to arrive in September, three months after the first wave of E-Class sedans led by the petrol-engined E350 and E500, priced at a bit more than the $75,000 green luxury threshold. Regardless, the E220 will save buyers about $5000 compared with the old luxury car threshold that didn't favour low-emission cars. The E220 will not be the only turbo-diesel four on offer in the E-Class range. It will be accompanied by the 150kW/500Nm E250 that has a 2.1-litre turbo-diesel engine. This engine, rated at a hybrid-busting 5.1 litres/100km yet capable of a 0-100km/h sprint of 7.4 seconds, is also being picked up by the E-Class Coupe which from October this year replaces the long-standing CLK range. The use of this engine in the performance-styled Coupe says it all about the change in thinking of European car makers. It comes as the January 2012 deadline draws closer for the European Union-mandated 120 grams per kilometre of carbon-dioxide emissions. Mercedes smartly believes that collecting a band of low emission models will allow it to continue developing and making its big-bore AMG models. With its family of cars including the 90g/km CO2 Smart MHD and a sub-90g/km CO2 Smart diesel, Mercedes may be on its way to fulfiling the EU demand. The E250 is the engine that is being talked up by Mercedes. Quietly, it is plausible that the engine could be the first four-cylinder to be slotted into the S-Class —- though that won't happen for the Mercedes-Benz 2010 S-Class range being unveiled now. Rather, it could be on the cards within five years.