The Mercedes E-class will arrive in the summer of 2023, also as a station wagon, and it’s packed with crazy options.

You can set the clock for it: when the new generation of the Mercedes E-Class is about to start, everyone in Stuttgart is high and the competition in Munich, Ingolstadt and Gothenburg is worried.

Outwardly, the change is not surprising. The Mercedes E-Class is as elegant and uncomplicated as the electric Mercedes EQE. Inside, the old Mercedes driver will have to get used to it, everything is digital, with a big role for the optional main screen.

Don’t underestimate the importance of the E-Class. Without a doubt, the largest Mercedes S-Class is a car that pushes all Mercedes engineers to their limits. The customer is happy to pay a sum and five zeros for it. But for the E-class, all modern technologies must be packed into a car that is not unique. Maybe that’s why this is the Mercedes that best shows how smart the manufacturers are.

Engine: E-class plug-in hybrid

There will be no fully electric Mercedes E-class; EQE models were developed for this purpose. But if you see all the petrol and diesel engines in the current price list, you understand that things have to change.

The magic word with the new E class is plug-in hybrids. The three engine types available are plug-in hybrids, with an electric range of around 100 km.

When the E-class hits showrooms in autumn 2023, you can choose from the following variants:

• E 300 e (313 hp, plug-in hybrid)
• E 300 e 4Matic (313 hp, plug-in hybrid)
• E 400 e 4Matic (381 hp, plug-in hybrid)
• E 200 (204 hp, hybrid)
• E 220d (197 hp, hybrid)
• E 200d 4Matic (197 hp, hybrid)

Appearance: still nods to the Mercedes EQE

Although the Mercedes E-class has a more conventional design than the EQE, you can still see the similarities. You can see from the black insert on the grille that all the models belong to the family. The LED daytime running lights are shaped like eyebrows – probably because many fans often hated them for their appearance on EQ models. And the LED taillights are in the shape of the Mercedes logo.

The measurements did not change spectacularly; 5 mm of room in the front, and a longer wheelbase of 2 cm, giving the rear passengers an additional space of 17 cm. The volume of the luggage compartment has increased from 480 to 540 liters.

Of course you can also equip the E-class with more luxurious options, such as air suspension, rear axle steering, adjustable shock absorbers and a four-person digital key. Music is now displayed on the (optional) active light band of the status light – as if you were waiting for it…

You can also issue commands to the car: “For example: “Turn on the seat ventilation and set the temperature indicator to orange if the interior temperature is higher than 23 degrees.”

The most surprising options on the Mercedes E class

Soothing sounds, stimulating massage, awakening light – you no longer have to go to a masseur or a psychiatrist, but it is also available in the Mercedes E class. Mercedes calls it its wellness program. This also includes a program that prevents motion sickness. And believe it or not, Mercedes will even offer a strength coach in the future, which will use breathing exercises to reduce feelings of stress. Not a real person with an inappropriate dream voice, but a digital coach. Just shoot.

The Mercedes E-class will go on sale from summer 2023. First comes the sedan, but the Estate takes more than a few months.