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28/07/2009
By EWAN KENNEDY
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Mercedes' E-Class coupe has arrived in Australia just two months after its world launch in Germany. This shows the importance of our market to the upmarket German marque. The early arrival of the E-Class coupe, that is also here as a sedan, saved the local importer quite a bit of embarrassment. Because the company's controversial sales campaign cajoling buyers into showrooms to talk about getting a discount on the car worked so well that the CLK-Class coupe, now replaced by the E-Class coupe, was sold out ahead of time.
The sleek lines of the new 2009 Merc drew attention wherever we drove it on the press launch in the Mount Macedon and Daylesford areas of Victoria. But the stunning lines aren’t there just for aesthetic reasons; they also improve the aerodynamics of the body. Indeed, this new E-Class is the most aerodynamic mass-production car you can buy, with a co-efficient of drag of just 0.24.
The more easily a car slips through the air, the less fuel is needed to power it, and the lower its emission levels.
Though the E-Class coupe is technically a four-seater, headroom in the back isn't the best. This is hardly a criticism, after all it is a coupe not a sedan. Children, even tall ones, will have room to spare in the back seats, but adults may care to avoid the area for anything other than short trips. Access by way of Mercedes’ ‘Easy Entry’ system is good and the kids will slip in and out with a minimum of fuss. So this Mercedes will work well as a family machine for quite a few buyers.
Interior styling is exceptionally good, with a nice combination of elegance and sportiness that matches the intent of owners of these machines. The instrument layout is typically Mercedes in its round-dial legibility and logical layout. High quality materials are offered in quite a few different formats, check with your dealer for full details.
On the road the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe rides well and the sleek body provides near silence on smooth roads such as motorways. On winding country roads with surfaces that have seen better days the car retains a surprising amount of comfort while still giving good road grip. Passengers will love this car just as much as demanding drivers. And there's an AMG Sports package for the extra-demanding driver.
Two engines are available in the E-Class coupe now; others will arrive in about two months time. Introduced this week are a 3.5-litre V6 in the E350. This is an all-new design featuring direct petrol injection (CGI in Mercedes' terms) for the first time. This not only produces more power, at 200 kW, and impressive torque of 350 Newton metres all the way from 3000 revs to 5100 rpm, but has a fuel consumption of just 9.5 litres per hundred kilometres when measured to ADR 81/02.
The other engine is the latest development of Mercedes' 5.5-litre V8. Sold as the E500 coupe it produces 285 kW, and 530 Nm from 2800 to 4800 rpm. This engine’s official fuel figure is 11.0 litres per hundred kilometres, which is impressive for a V8 sports coupe that can run to 100 km/h from rest in just 5.4 seconds.
The V8's exhaust note is superb, even at low revs on minimal throttle opening it sounds the way V8 drivers like it to sound. And when you do get stuck into the loud pedal its hard-edged note becomes positively vocal.
The torque figures of these two Mercedes' powerplants mean that most drivers will have their engines running at peak efficiency virtually all of the time in day-to-day driving; hence the low consumption and emissions.
Coming to Australia in September or October is a turbo-diesel displacing 2.1 litres and a 1.8-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder. These engines will be part of Mercedes' ‘Blue Efficiency’ program aimed at making engines as lean and clean as possible. Not only will these cars be easier on the air, Mercedes has been able to trim their prices to comfortably under $100,000. Stand by for full details when they are launched.
The complete Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe range, with prices (excluding government and dealer charges) is:
E 250 CGI coupe: $94,500
E 250 CDI coupe: $97,500
E 350 coupe: $127,500
E 500 coupe: $174,500 |
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