German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz launched the newest variant of its 2017 E-Class during the Paris Motor Show 2016 early last week officially called as the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain.
The SUV becomes the first-ever raised estate in the history of the German luxury carmaker and it pits itself against the likes of the Audi Allroad and the Volvo Cross Country, with enough firepower against the competition, reports Mercedes Blog.
Ola Kallenius, a member of the Daimler management board responsible for sales and marketing of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, said that no E-Class has ever been as versatile as the All Terrain.
The new model combines a striking look in SUV style with the intelligent space concept of the estate, coupled with lots of innovative safety features and the multi-award-winning E-Class interior.
Muscling its way to the market
The estate model muscles its way into market territory dominated by the Audi A6 Allroad. With 4MATIC all-wheel-drive, increased ground clearance, and a powerful new look. With such features, the All-Terrain is sure to appeal.
The 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain gets an SUV-style two-fin grille with a star integrated into the center. A distinctive front bumper and paneling electroplated in silver-chrome give the front a strong look, details GT Spirit.
Black wheel arch covers further reinforce the E-Class’ off-road capability. The three-part bumper also uses black and silver plastic to emphasize the rough and ready nature of the estate.
The 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain uses a set of 19-inch and 20-inch wheels. Inside, trim parts include aluminum-carbon look inlays, stainless steel sports pedals, and rubber floor mats with all-terrain lettering. Avantgarde interior equipment is available as standard with Exclusive design appointments available as an option.
The All-Terrain has Dynamic Select as a standard feature with five driving programs. An All-Terrain driving program offers settings for off-road driving derived from the GLE. It raises Air Body Control by 20 millimeters at speeds of up to 35 kilometers per hour.
The thresholds for ESP, active yaw control, and acceleration skid control (ASR) are adjusted accordingly. Overall, the E-Class All-Terrain is 29 millimeters higher than the standard estate. Ground clearance is 121 to 156 millimeters.
The all-new 2017 Mercedes-Benz All Terrain is basically a T-Model with 35-mm raised ground clearance, flared wheel arches, plastic body protections, and standard 4Matic AWD system.
The All-Terrain will be hitting the markets in the spring of 2017.
Convertible variant of the E-Class also in the works
Mercedes-Benz has successfully unveiled the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class a few months ago featuring a sedan and coupe variant.
But it seems that Mercedes-Benz is not yet done with the brand as a new variant is now in the thick of development and is actually about to come out sooner than later.
Reports are now rife that the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class convertible variant to be officially called as the Cabrio, is now in the works and a prototype, all camouflaged with stickers, have recently been spotted in the wild.
The variant actually resembles the lines of the sedan and the coupe of the 2017 E-Class as well as the open-top variants of the C-Class and the S-Class.
As expected the chassis was strengthened to compensate for the opening in the roof which could possibly add to the vehicle’s overall weight. As such, critics are saying that it would be a tad slower compared to the E-Class coupe.
The Cabrio shall also have several engine variants including a range of four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines but it is still not certain if the Cabrio would be equipped with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8.
As for the release date of the Cabrio, the rumors are saying that it could be launched by Mercedes-Benz during the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan in January or the 2017 Geneva Auto Show to be held in March next year.