- The 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-class sedan debuts with hybrid power, with the E350’s four-cylinder and E450’s inline-six paired to a 23-hp electric motor.
- The cabin can be decked out with a screen in front of the passenger’s seat and a camera that allows for video calls while stationary.
- Mercedes also integrates several third-party apps into the infotainment system, with the central screen granting access to Zoom, TikTok, and Angry Birds.
Mercedes-Benz is leaping into the future with avant-garde EVs like the EQE and EQS, but the automaker hasn’t forgotten the models that built its legacy. It is now breathing fresh life into the long-running E-class sedan for 2024. The new generation brings a lineup of hybridized powertrains and a futuristic interior that can be optioned with three screens and a selfie camera.
Unlike Mercedes’s soap-bar-shaped EVs, the 2024 E-class retains more traditional three-box sedan proportions, with a set-back cabin and long dash-to-axle ratio. Still, the E-class is visually linked to the EQE by the black trim between the headlights and grille. The taillights feature two star-shaped elements on either side of the full-width housing. The smooth bodywork grows a few inches wider than the outgoing sedan, and Mercedes touts improved interior space thanks to a slightly longer wheelbase.
Interior Tech Features
Although the 2024 E-class will come standard with two displays, the high-tech interior seen here shows off an optional third screen in front of the passenger which results in a large pane of glass stretching across the rest of the dashboard. The EQS’s similar setup is dubbed “Hyperscreen,” but Mercedes downgraded the E-class screen’s status to merely “Superscreen.” Mercedes says E-class models equipped with two screens have a large trim piece on the right side of the dashboard but didn’t provide any images showing that setup.
The rest of the cabin features rich-looking leather and metal switchgear, and ambient lighting wraps around the dashboard. An optional package allows the lighting to pulse with the beat of whatever music is playing on the Burmester surround sound system. The light strip can also display visual alerts from the driver assistance systems.
Mercedes is proud of the new entertainment options, with the infotainment system now drawing from a single onboard computer. If properly equipped, the passenger can stream videos and games while on the move, thanks to a system that blocks the content if a dashboard-mounted camera senses the driver’s eyes wandering from the road towards the screen. Mercedes also installed several third-party apps on the central display, including TikTok, web browser Vivaldi, and Angry Birds, while the built-in entertainment system allows for streaming as part of a subscription program.
Zoom is also available, making use of the optional selfie and video camera that comes with the Superscreen. It sits atop the dashboard and allows for recording or video calls when the vehicle is stationary. The E-class also features augmented reality for navigation, overlaying arrows onto live images from the car’s myriad cameras. The voice assistant can now listen for commands at all times, provided the driver is alone, thanks to the new “Just Talk” function. The infotainment system will also suggest applications based on situation, saving drivers the time of searching through submenus.
Four- and Six-Cylinder Hybrid Engines
Two hybridized powertrains will be offered in the United States. Both engines feature an integrated starter-generator running off of a 48-volt electrical system, with the electric motor contributing a boost of 23 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque that can be used to reduce turbo lag and smooth out the start/stop system. The E350 uses a 255-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four making 295 pound-feet, up 22 pound-feet over the outgoing four-cylinder. Stepping up to the E450 brings a turbo 3.0-liter inline-six producing 375 horsepower and 369 pound-feet, an increase of 13 horses over the previous E450. All E-classes are all-wheel drive, and both powertrains hook up to a nine-speed automatic transmission.
The 2024 E-class features a multilink suspension at each corner, with an optional air suspension replacing the base steel-spring setup as part of the Technology package. There are adaptive dampers and a load-leveling function that can adjust based on the road surface. The Technology package also adds rear-wheel steering, helping make the E-class nimbler at lower speeds by reducing the turning circle by nearly three feet.
The E-class has many standard driver-assistance features but packages some upgrades—such as active steering with lane-centering and automatic lane changes—into an optional Driver Assistance Plus package.
Mercedes hasn’t said when the E-class will go on sale in the United States, but we expect the new sedan to hit dealerships by the end of the year. Pricing also remains a mystery, but the 2024 E-class should start around $60,000, a slight bump over the 2023 model.
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Associate News Editor
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
