E-Class (W213/C238/A238) [Official] Mercedes-Benz E-Class W213 Facelift
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The Mercedes-Benz W213 is the fifth generation of the E-Class range.
Body styles: sedan/saloon (W213), wagon/estate (S213), long wheelbase (V213), coupé (C238), cabriolet (A238). Production: 2016–2023. Predecessor: W212 E-Class. Successor: W214 E-Class, C236/A236 CLE.
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- Rolf
Autocar review of the E300e petrol Plug In Hybrid
Rating - 4 stars
Mercedes-Benz E-Class E300e 2020 UK review
The E-Class gets a welcome facelift and technological revamp, but if it’s a PHEV you want, the diesel is better
What is it?
Despite four years passing since its launch, the fifth-generation Mercedes E-Class still occupies a firmly competitive position as one of our executive class favourites.
There are of course now sharper, more engaging and more visually enthralling class contenders. But the E-Class's blend of unrivalled comfort and refinement have stood the test of time, and also maintained its substantial share of the motorway-plodding fleet and business markets.
But four years is an exceedingly long time on the technology front. The focus for the Audi A6 rival’s mid-life revamp, then, is a totally overhauled electrical system, which engineers told Autocar earlier this year makes the new E “more advanced than the S-Class in certain areas”.
Not only does the system allow for a more comprehensive array of driver assist functions - such as Active Speed Limit Assist, which adjusts the cruise control speed in line with traffic signs and bends in the road - it also enables 48V mild-hybrid technology across every combustion-engined variant. The system is claimed to be more capable at boosting efficiency than it was in the outgoing model.
Alongside this, there is of course some evolved styling both inside and out, boosted equipment levels and new colour and wheel options. The usual mid-life-cycle fare, then.
What's it like?
Let’s start with the visual tweaks, which are minor enough for our photographer to enquire what exactly has changed over the old model. The front end carries most of the changes, including standard LED lights inspired by the latest CLS and a new grille and bumper arrangement.
A fresh set of tail-lights has also been added at the rear, but the refresh is unlikely to change anyone’s fundamental opinion on the E-Class’s styling. Frankly, with both core German competitors moving to ever-bolder and more aggressive design approaches, the relatively polite and elegant E is a breath of fresh air.
Things get more interesting inside. Architecturally it’s familiar, yet the detail changes are extensive. The first change is easy to spot: the steering wheel has moved to a more minimalist split three-spoke design, allowing for two separate bars of switchgear to be installed along the two horizontal spokes. These are now capacitive touch controls, which seem a bit form-over-function at first but become more natural to use with practice.
They also allow greater functionality: if you want to adjust the cruise control’s speed by 5mph, for example, you can firmly press the up/down button, while a gentle slide of the finger up or down will increase or reduce the speed in 1mph increments.
Elsewhere, the E-Class has moved to Mercedes’ latest MBUX infotainment and connectivity software. As first rolled out on the brand’s compact models, it’s incorporated into the same dual-screen display set-up (now standard fitment, with a size upgrade in higher trims), but with the right-hand display now touch-operated via the screen itself, with a square pad to replace the rotary click wheel control.
With the more advanced voice control also offered, it’s a case of ‘choose your weapon’ with the control interfaces, and although none proved as naturally intuitive on the move as the old rotary control for this tester, we’ve little doubt that, as is the case with the steering wheel, you’d get used to it.
To complement the new E-Class’s more advanced driver assistance suite, the wheel’s capacitive capability means you no longer have to wiggle the wheel to let it know you’re paying attention in full lane assist mode. Now it can detect your hand grip more effectively, while new connected systems mean the car can slow itself in anticipation of traffic ahead.
Comfort is further enhanced by the optional Energising Plus package, bringing not only more ergonomic seats but also features such as S-Class-style heated door and console armrests, alongside the usual heated and ventilated seats. The seats really are very comfortable, although this and myriad other options contribute to a laugh-inducing sticker price of €96,877 (around £87,500) for this German press car.
Mechanically, beyond the mild-hybrid revisions and some engine tweaks elsewhere in the range, there isn't much to shout about. Suspension changes are minor, focusing on fettling the set-up to work more capably with the latest efficiency-minded tyre compounds.
The plug-in hybrid E300e driven here is also largely unchanged from its introduction last year. Its 13.5kWh battery allows for a realistic 30-mile EV range, while its seamless balancing of power sources makes for smooth, unruffled progress and respectable real-world economy, as long as charging is something your journey profile and home set-up allows on a fairly regular basis. It’s pretty quick and responsive off the line, too, but out-and-out pace isn’t what the non-AMG E-Class is about.
It’s better at a relaxed gait, where the PHEV system's additional weight spread around the platform doesn’t make itself felt to an unpleasant degree. There are zero sporting intentions here - interaction is non-existent, and while body control is reasonably tidy, things get a bit less sophisticated when pushed.
Impeccable ride quality is still the priority here; our car’s optional Air Body Control suspension smoothed out even the worst Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire's countryside Tarmac could spring at us.
Downsides remain: the extra initial list price outlay over a conventional petrol model, for starters - plus the approximately 20% boot space sacrifice the hybrid system demands.
Should I buy one?
On a more general note, the new E-Class is more technologically advanced but retains the qualities we know and love; namely its ability to devour long distances or cruise around even the most cut-and-thrust city without raising the driver's heart rate.
It's still a strong buy, then, but this E300e isn't the plug-in hybrid variant in the E-Class range we'd plump for. That honour goes to the still relatively novel diesel hybrid E300de. Mercedes may be treading a fairly lonely path with this tech, but there's no denying its credentials: smooth EV performance combined with long-distance diesel capability and the ability to easily break 50mpg on a run once the battery has gone flat.
The 5 Series (and its plug-in offering) remains a superior all-rounder, however, offering about 90% of the cosseting executive experience of the E-Class but with a greater dynamic repertoire should you suddenly be overcome with the need to fling a five-metre-long posh saloon down a twisty stretch of road with abandon.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class E300e specification
Price £46,330 Engine 4 cyls in line, 1991cc, petrol, plus electric motor Power 316bhp at 4500-5500rpm (combined system output) Torque 516lb ft Gearbox 9-spd automatic Kerb weight 1990kg 0-62mph 5.7sec Top speed 155mph Economy 50.4-51.4mpg CO2, tax band na Rivals BMW 530e SE, Audi A6 Black Edition 40 TDI
Rating - 4 stars
Mercedes-Benz E-Class E300e 2020 UK review
The E-Class gets a welcome facelift and technological revamp, but if it’s a PHEV you want, the diesel is better
What is it?
Despite four years passing since its launch, the fifth-generation Mercedes E-Class still occupies a firmly competitive position as one of our executive class favourites.
There are of course now sharper, more engaging and more visually enthralling class contenders. But the E-Class's blend of unrivalled comfort and refinement have stood the test of time, and also maintained its substantial share of the motorway-plodding fleet and business markets.
But four years is an exceedingly long time on the technology front. The focus for the Audi A6 rival’s mid-life revamp, then, is a totally overhauled electrical system, which engineers told Autocar earlier this year makes the new E “more advanced than the S-Class in certain areas”.
Not only does the system allow for a more comprehensive array of driver assist functions - such as Active Speed Limit Assist, which adjusts the cruise control speed in line with traffic signs and bends in the road - it also enables 48V mild-hybrid technology across every combustion-engined variant. The system is claimed to be more capable at boosting efficiency than it was in the outgoing model.
Alongside this, there is of course some evolved styling both inside and out, boosted equipment levels and new colour and wheel options. The usual mid-life-cycle fare, then.
What's it like?
Let’s start with the visual tweaks, which are minor enough for our photographer to enquire what exactly has changed over the old model. The front end carries most of the changes, including standard LED lights inspired by the latest CLS and a new grille and bumper arrangement.
A fresh set of tail-lights has also been added at the rear, but the refresh is unlikely to change anyone’s fundamental opinion on the E-Class’s styling. Frankly, with both core German competitors moving to ever-bolder and more aggressive design approaches, the relatively polite and elegant E is a breath of fresh air.
Things get more interesting inside. Architecturally it’s familiar, yet the detail changes are extensive. The first change is easy to spot: the steering wheel has moved to a more minimalist split three-spoke design, allowing for two separate bars of switchgear to be installed along the two horizontal spokes. These are now capacitive touch controls, which seem a bit form-over-function at first but become more natural to use with practice.
They also allow greater functionality: if you want to adjust the cruise control’s speed by 5mph, for example, you can firmly press the up/down button, while a gentle slide of the finger up or down will increase or reduce the speed in 1mph increments.
Elsewhere, the E-Class has moved to Mercedes’ latest MBUX infotainment and connectivity software. As first rolled out on the brand’s compact models, it’s incorporated into the same dual-screen display set-up (now standard fitment, with a size upgrade in higher trims), but with the right-hand display now touch-operated via the screen itself, with a square pad to replace the rotary click wheel control.
With the more advanced voice control also offered, it’s a case of ‘choose your weapon’ with the control interfaces, and although none proved as naturally intuitive on the move as the old rotary control for this tester, we’ve little doubt that, as is the case with the steering wheel, you’d get used to it.
To complement the new E-Class’s more advanced driver assistance suite, the wheel’s capacitive capability means you no longer have to wiggle the wheel to let it know you’re paying attention in full lane assist mode. Now it can detect your hand grip more effectively, while new connected systems mean the car can slow itself in anticipation of traffic ahead.
Comfort is further enhanced by the optional Energising Plus package, bringing not only more ergonomic seats but also features such as S-Class-style heated door and console armrests, alongside the usual heated and ventilated seats. The seats really are very comfortable, although this and myriad other options contribute to a laugh-inducing sticker price of €96,877 (around £87,500) for this German press car.
Mechanically, beyond the mild-hybrid revisions and some engine tweaks elsewhere in the range, there isn't much to shout about. Suspension changes are minor, focusing on fettling the set-up to work more capably with the latest efficiency-minded tyre compounds.
The plug-in hybrid E300e driven here is also largely unchanged from its introduction last year. Its 13.5kWh battery allows for a realistic 30-mile EV range, while its seamless balancing of power sources makes for smooth, unruffled progress and respectable real-world economy, as long as charging is something your journey profile and home set-up allows on a fairly regular basis. It’s pretty quick and responsive off the line, too, but out-and-out pace isn’t what the non-AMG E-Class is about.
It’s better at a relaxed gait, where the PHEV system's additional weight spread around the platform doesn’t make itself felt to an unpleasant degree. There are zero sporting intentions here - interaction is non-existent, and while body control is reasonably tidy, things get a bit less sophisticated when pushed.
Impeccable ride quality is still the priority here; our car’s optional Air Body Control suspension smoothed out even the worst Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire's countryside Tarmac could spring at us.
Downsides remain: the extra initial list price outlay over a conventional petrol model, for starters - plus the approximately 20% boot space sacrifice the hybrid system demands.
Should I buy one?
On a more general note, the new E-Class is more technologically advanced but retains the qualities we know and love; namely its ability to devour long distances or cruise around even the most cut-and-thrust city without raising the driver's heart rate.
It's still a strong buy, then, but this E300e isn't the plug-in hybrid variant in the E-Class range we'd plump for. That honour goes to the still relatively novel diesel hybrid E300de. Mercedes may be treading a fairly lonely path with this tech, but there's no denying its credentials: smooth EV performance combined with long-distance diesel capability and the ability to easily break 50mpg on a run once the battery has gone flat.
The 5 Series (and its plug-in offering) remains a superior all-rounder, however, offering about 90% of the cosseting executive experience of the E-Class but with a greater dynamic repertoire should you suddenly be overcome with the need to fling a five-metre-long posh saloon down a twisty stretch of road with abandon.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class E300e specification
Price £46,330 Engine 4 cyls in line, 1991cc, petrol, plus electric motor Power 316bhp at 4500-5500rpm (combined system output) Torque 516lb ft Gearbox 9-spd automatic Kerb weight 1990kg 0-62mph 5.7sec Top speed 155mph Economy 50.4-51.4mpg CO2, tax band na Rivals BMW 530e SE, Audi A6 Black Edition 40 TDI
mehdi tavakol
Turbo Tüftler
- Messages
- 206
Hi,
I have just joined the forum and I will become a first time UK Mercedes owner hopefully in November
Just placed an order for a face lift estate ( station wagon! )
E220d AMG Line Night Edition Premium Plus Auto
Selenite Grey
Machiato Beige/Black Leather
Will be different to my usual Land Rover SUV's!
I have just joined the forum and I will become a first time UK Mercedes owner hopefully in November
Just placed an order for a face lift estate ( station wagon! )
E220d AMG Line Night Edition Premium Plus Auto
Selenite Grey
Machiato Beige/Black Leather
Will be different to my usual Land Rover SUV's!
Wolfgang
Kraftwagen König
- Messages
- 10,248
Picture: MB Passion
Back to rotary pushbuttons?
The good old turn-push control is one of the important options, which in times of the digital Olympics are rarely highlighted by the official side. Actually, it was replaced by the touchpad with the facelift; but a revision may be announced soon - as a comeback in the form of an inexpensively priced option.
Because the development department is currently realizing that touchscreens may look cool and are hip, but their operation distracts significantly more from driving than clicking through menu items.
Especially since many customers have reported that they do not want to finger around on a control pad or grope their monitor (both are now standard). And that you don't want to verbally express all your wishes to the virtual operating fee of the MBUX system.
Fahrbericht Mercedes E-Klasse Facelift (2020)
Mit dem Facelift hätte die Mercedes E-Klasse einen völlig neuen Vierzylinder-Benziner bekommen sollen: den E 350 mit Elektro-Aggregat sowie einem elektrisch unterstützter Turbolader: Diese Motorisierung wurde aber kurzfristig noch vor dem Markstart gestrichen. Genießen Sie deshalb einen...
www.auto-motor-und-sport.de
- Messages
- 11,565
- Name
- Matt
Hi Jim, welcome to GCF.
- Messages
- 15,841
- Name
- Rolf
Welcome to our forum Jim, we looking forward to hearing your experience owning this lovely E220d. Cheers
- Messages
- 18,042
- Name
- Giannis
Hello and welcome to GCF Jim! I hope the time until November passes quite quickly!
Eng.ahad
Porsche Perfektionist
- Messages
- 711
Honestly, I thought it will be a bad idea since the beginning.
Picture: MB Passion
Back to rotary pushbuttons?
The good old turn-push control is one of the important options, which in times of the digital Olympics are rarely highlighted by the official side. Actually, it was replaced by the touchpad with the facelift; but a revision may be announced soon - as a comeback in the form of an inexpensively priced option.
Because the development department is currently realizing that touchscreens may look cool and are hip, but their operation distracts significantly more from driving than clicking through menu items.
Especially since many customers have reported that they do not want to finger around on a control pad or grope their monitor (both are now standard). And that you don't want to verbally express all your wishes to the virtual operating fee of the MBUX system.
Fahrbericht Mercedes E-Klasse Facelift (2020)
Mit dem Facelift hätte die Mercedes E-Klasse einen völlig neuen Vierzylinder-Benziner bekommen sollen: den E 350 mit Elektro-Aggregat sowie einem elektrisch unterstützter Turbolader: Diese Motorisierung wurde aber kurzfristig noch vor dem Markstart gestrichen. Genießen Sie deshalb einen...
How is it very difficult to understand that only touch pads are not enough and rotary control makes Mercedes laggy infotainment much easier to use.
- Messages
- 40,986
- Name
- Marcus
Yeah....no. Looks good one min, not so much the next. I hope Mercedes finally gets off this same look for everything and restore the next generation E back to being it's own, distinctive car/look like some of the E's of the past.
M
M
hoffmeister_fan
Kraftwagen König
- Messages
- 11,279
Gotten used to the front and rear on the sedan, but the F/L front doesn't jive that well on the coupe/cabrio.
- Messages
- 4,712
I'm the opposite. I think the FL coupe/cabrio looks excellent, while the sedan is more hit or miss. To be honest, I'm glad the classic grille isn't going to be sold here in the U.S. as it just looks bad to me overall.
HUTSUTAo
High-Rev Hero
- Messages
- 2,115
w214 till we meet in 2023.
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Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz Group AG is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.
Established in 1926, Mercedes-Benz Group produces consumer luxury
vehicles and light commercial vehicles badged as Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG,
and Mercedes-Maybach.
Its origin lies in Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft's 1901 Mercedes
and Carl Benz's 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is widely regarded
as the first internal combustion engine in a self-propelled automobile.
The slogan for the brand is "the best or nothing".
Official website: Mercedes-Benz (Global), Mercedes-Benz (USA)
Official website: Mercedes-Benz (Global), Mercedes-Benz (USA)
