Mercedes-Benz E Class

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a range of executive cars manufactured by German automaker Mercedes-Benz in various engine and body configurations. Produced since September 1953, the E-Class falls as a midrange in the Mercedes line-up, and has been marketed worldwide across five generations.

Before 1993, the ''E'' suffix in Mercedes-Benz model names referred to ''Einspritzmotor'' (German for fuel injection engine) when in the early 1960s fuel injection began to proliferate beyond its upper-tier luxury and sporting models. By the launch of the facelifted W124 in 1993 fuel injection was ubiquitous in Mercedes engines, and the ''E'' was adopted as a prefix (i.e., E 220). The model line is referred to officially as the ''E-Class'' (or ''E-Klasse''). All generations of the E-Class have offered either rear-wheel drive or Mercedes' 4Matic four-wheel drive system.

The E-Class is Mercedes-Benz' best-selling model, with more than 13 million sold by 2015. The first E-Class series was originally available as four-door sedan, five-door station wagon, two-door coupe and two-door convertible. From 1997 to 2009, the equivalent coupe and convertible were sold under the Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class nameplate; which was based on the mechanical underpinnings of the smaller C-Class while borrowing the styling and some powertrains from the E-Class, a trend continued with the C207 E-Class coupe/convertible which was sold parallel to the W212 E-Class sedan/wagon. With the latest incarnation of the E-Class released for the 2017 model year, all body styles share the same W213 platform.

Due to the E-Class's size and durability, it has filled many market segments, from personal cars to frequently serving as taxis in European countries, as well special-purpose vehicles (e.g., police or ambulance modifications) from the factory. In November 2020, the W213 E-Class was awarded the 2021 Motor Trend Car of the Year award, a first for Mercedes-Benz.

Predecessors

W120 (1953)

The first modern midsize Mercedes was the W120 'Ponton' 180 of 1953 and was produced until 1962. Sharing its engineering with the R121 190 SL of 1955, the Ponton was a stylish sedan with a four-cylinder engine. An OHC engine W121 190 appeared in 1956 along with a six-cylinder Mercedes-Benz W105.

W110 (1961)

Mercedes added tailfins to both the new W110 'Fintail' 190 of 1962. In the 1965 230 model a Straight-6 engine appeared for the first time, and the four-cylinder engine grew in displacement.

W114, W115 (1968)

The midsize Mercedes was redesigned in 1968 as the W114/W115 'Stroke-8'. This time, the 6-cylinder models (The W114s) were most prevalent, with the W115 line making up the bottom of the company's offerings with four- and five-cylinder power. A coupé body joined the line-up in 1969, and was the first mid-range Mercedes to be offered with the D-Jetronic fuel injection.

W123 (1975)

The popular W123 quickly became a best-seller on its launch in 1976. Especially in diesel powered 240D and 300D guises, the cars enhanced the company's reputation for product quality. Over 2.6 million were produced until the end of production in 1986. Saloon/Sedan, Coupé, and Estate body configurations were offered.

W124 (1984)

The W124 was presented in November 1984, with production commencing in January the following year. During it's production it introduced many new features like the 4Matic all-wheel drive, DOHC cylinder heads and emission control with Catalytic converters, Diesel particulate filters and Exhaust gas recirculation. A special mention is the top end 500E performance vehicle co-built by Porsche. It was the third car to inherit the company's new design theme since the late 1970s, following the flagship W126 and compact W201.

Similar to its predecessors, the W124 also offered a coupé and estate body styles. A cabriolet (internally A124) was also available from 1992.

First generation (W124; 1993)

The "E-Class" name first appeared with the facelifted W124 in August 1993 for Europe and in September for 1994 model year for export into the United States. The W124 was introduced in 1984 but continued with the older naming convention until 1993 when all Mercedes-Benz models switched to a new system, e.g. E 320 instead of 320 E. Sedan (W124), Coupé (C124), Convertible (A124), and Estate (S124) body configurations were offered. Sedans were built through 1995, estates and coupes through 1996 and cabriolets finished in 1997.

Second generation (W210; 1995)

The W210 E-Class, launched in January 1995.

The E-class made major changes compared to the earlier version of the E-class, including four large oval headlights, which gave Mercedes an updated image intended to attract more younger buyers and women. The new E-Class was longer and wider and offered significantly more interior room but was still considered mid-size.

In September 1999, the W210 E-class was facelifted. This included visual, mechanical, and quality improvements over the earlier versions.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class was ''Motor Trend''s Import Car of the Year for 1996.

While the W210 sedan was replaced by the W211 in 2002, the wagon version continued to be sold until March 2003 when the S211 wagon returned the S210 wagon.

Third generation (W211; 2001)

Launched in 2002, the W211 E-Class was another evolution of the previous model.

The W211-based C219 CLS-Class 4-door coupe was introduced as a niche model in 2005, primarily to attract a younger demographic.

The W211 E-Class was facelifted in June 2006 for the 2007 model year to address quality and technical issues raised by earlier models, Sensotronic was dropped, while Pre-Safe (w/o brake support) was made standard. The largest factory-built engine in the E-class range is the E500, which had its engine size increased from 5 liters to 5.5 liters in 2006 along with the facelift. There are also AMG models badged E55 and E63, AMG as well as other tuning house installations.

Fourth generation (W212; 2009)

Sedan and wagon (W212)

The W212 replaced the W211 in 2009 (as a 2010 model). Official photos of the W212 were leaked on the internet on 9 December 2008 ahead of its 2009 Geneva Motor Show unveiling. Scans of a leaked brochure were posted onto the internet in January 2009, detailing the whole E-Class range including the new E 200 CGI and E 230 CGI with direct injected forced induction engines. New features included a blind spot monitor, Lane Keeping Assist, Pre-safe with Attention Assist, and Night View Assist Plus. In the United States the E-Class was priced nearly US$4,600 less than the previous model. The W212 estate was also announced and available from November 2009.

In 2013, the E-Class had a comprehensive facelift, featuring significant styling changes, fuel economy improvements, and updated safety features. Daimler invested close to €1 billion into the development of the extensive refresh, making it likely the most expensive mid-life facelift in the history of the automobile. The biggest change was the singular front lights replacing the twin headlamp design (marking the end of Mercedes's dual headlamps use) with integrated LED DRLs. Although not an all-new model, the W212 facelift was the only mid-cycle refresh featured on a family portrait of several generations of the E-Class side by side by Mercedes-Benz for the unveiling of the W213 E-Class. While the factory has rated the E63S model at 577 hp/590 lb-ft, there is significant real-world dynamometer testing that indicates the AMG-tuned S model exceeds 600 hp at the flywheel.

Coupe and convertible (C207/A207)

The coupé (C207) was first shown at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, while the convertible (A207) was unveiled at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. Both models replaced the previous C209/A209 CLK-Class models. The C207/A207 E-Class is based on the W204 C-Class platform, and is produced alongside each other in the Bremen plant.

Fifth generation (W213; 2016)

The fifth generation E-Class was unveiled at the 2016 North American International Auto Show. This generation E-Class has design cues from the larger W222 S-Class and the smaller W205 C-Class. While the W212 E-Class has tighter surface and harder edges, the new model is curvier and more flowing.

Engine options for the W213 E-Class saw a major update, thanks to the switch to inline six-cylinder engines from the previous V6 engines, along with a new generation of four-cylinder diesel engines, codenamed OM654, and existing four-cylinder petrol engines.

The W213 E-Class is the second-most technologically advanced Mercedes after the new S-Class. The E-Class received the latest in autonomous driving technology for use at highway speeds, capable of piloting itself up to speeds of for up to 2 minutes. The system uses a complex array of motion sensors, radars, and cameras to scan the road ahead, and requires the driver's hands to be placed on the wheel at all times. This feature was also available on the fourth-generation Mercedes-AMG E 63 model.

In 2020, Mercedes-Benz introduced a facelift to the W213.

Sixth generation (W214; 2023)

The sixth generation E-Class debuted on April 25, 2023. Body styles include the saloon and estate (wagon), while coupés and convertibles were discontinued. As part of a consolidation of model ranges, executive coupés and convertibles will slot between the E-Class and C-Class in size under the new CLE nameplate.

Production and sales

Explanatory notes

References

Notes

Bibliography

General

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Workshop manuals

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External links

Official website
(United Kingdom)

{{Mercedes-Benz E-Class lineage

Executive cars
E-Class
Luxury vehicles
All-wheel-drive vehicles
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Sports sedans
Limousines
Coupés
Station wagons
Cars introduced in 1953
1960s cars
1970s cars
1980s cars
1990s cars
2000s cars
2010s cars