The North American market is only getting the All-Terrain version of the brand new Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon. It will be equipped with the more powerful gasoline engine options and will not get a plug-in hybrid drivetrain option, at least for now. But, since we were given the opportunity to see them up close, let’s take a quick look at what Europe, Japan and a bunch of other customer bases demand from German premium brands: a mid-size luxury wagon with plenty of tech onboard. And I don’t just mean TikTok capability on a giant optional screen.
I saw the E-Class T-Model, or if you’re British, the E-Class Estate in Austria. Dare I say it’s gorgeous in the metal, and the best version of an otherwise quite conservative sedan that tries to be more than just a shrunken S-Class. Since there is no S-Class wagon, the E-Class reigns in this category. It’s a familiar yet refreshing offering among the continuing flood of crossovers, with the All-Terrain version promising to be a tasty crossover alternative for US enthusiasts.
As you’d expect, the E-Class grew in both body styles. The wagon is over an inch wider, sitting on a wheelbase that’s 0.86-inch longer at 116 inches, so not only can rear passengers enjoy more room, including almost an inch of extra shoulder room, but cargo space is more generous as well at 21.71 cubic feet in standard configuration, or 66.62 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. In the plug-in hybrids, with both the gasoline and the diesel engines on the combustion side, the trunk has a capacity of 16.24 cubic feet, or over 59 cubic feet with the seats folded. To complement these new dimensions, the optional alloy wheels now measure 21 inches.
The hybrid drivetrain’s electric output is 95 kW, meaning that the E 300e comes with a combined 322 horsepower and 405 foot pounds of torque. Still not for America, the mild-hybrid E 200 has 204 hp and 236 ft.lb., while the diesel E 220d using the same 48-volt starter and boost is the economical offering with 197 horsepower and 324 foot pounds. Given that the plug-in hybrids can do well over 60 miles on battery power alone, the diesel plug-in hybrid will be the range champion. When it comes to acceleration, the gasoline plug-in hybrid’s 6.5 seconds to sixty is the notable figure.
Taking care of the extra weight is a standard steel-sprung suspension with a five link setup at the rear and four control arms at the front, with the Airmatic suspension featuring adaptive ADS+ shocks remaining the ultimate comfort option.
Nappa leather, and every digital and safety feature introduced with the sedan will also be available for the five-door wagons, while personally, I can’t wait for an AMG version with the same electronically actuated tow hook between the exhaust pipes. What’s for sure is that regardless of the drivetrain, the new E-Class wagon will look posh wherever it goes. As expected from Mercedes-Benz, they’ve done their second most conservative model just right.
