► Barely disguised pics of new E-class
► It’s the 2016 Mercedes saloon
► See it for real at Detroit motor show
Mercedes-Benz is clearly playing the striptease card: our spy photographers have caught the new 2016 E-class stepping out with next to no disguise to hide the new look ahead of its debut at the Detroit motor show in January.
The baby S-class (or souped-up C-class) vibe of the new E saloon is plain to see. There is some camouflage around the extremities of this validation prototype, but most of the metalwork is exposed, giving us our best look yet at the crisply pressed style of the body.
New Mercedes E-class: the W213 story
The next Merc executive saloon is based on the Daimler group’s MRA rear-wheel drive architecture, which brings with it a full suite of electronic safety systems, weight-saving tech to trim 70-150kg from the kerb heft and – inevitably – a growth spurt, taking the ‘mid-range’ E-class to within a whisker of five metres long. Yikes.
The following engines are expected:
- 4cyl Downsized fours return
- 6cyl Straight sixes are back!
- Hybrids A choice of plug-ins will be offered
We’ve already nosed around inside the new E-class and you can spot the S-class influence at play in the cabin, too. The widescreen digital read-out is pretty striking, but the E-class sticks with a pair of physical dials in front of the driver, rather than a full digital set-up.
Click here for our full scoop dossier on the new 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-class.