Based on the recent spy shots on the latest luxury sedan from German automaker Mercedes-Benz, the next iteration of its E-Class will actually sit right in the middle of its C-Class and S-Class sedans.
Some critics observe that the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class looks strikingly similar to the carmaker’s flagship sedan, the S-Class, based on exterior design, notes Autonews.
However, there are a number of innovative additions to the E-Class that the S-Class does not have which makes the former stand out in its own attributes.
One feature that is first of its kind in the Mercedes-Benz luxury car lineup and will make its way to the E-Class is the remote parking system. The feature is actually an offshoot of the autonomous driving technology derived from Mercedes-Benz’s modular MRA platform.
The MRA platform, which was used by the C-Class, has made the E-Class lighter, more rigid, and more efficient than its current model, released in 2014.
Using the same platform, the carmaker used lightweight materials in the development of its latest sedan both in its chassis and its engine.
Parking via remote control
The remote parking system is called the autonomous Park Pilot, which allows the owner to park the car via remote control.
The feature is actually the same as that of the BMW 7 Series so the one in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is officially the second in the world although there are reported testing already being done on self-driving vehicles since last year, most notably by Google and Apple. At least, what the Park Pilot of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is just a baby step for the supposed self-driving vehicles of the future.
Accordingly, the Park Pilot is to be controlled by a smartphone app called “Mercedes connect me.” As the feature is still on its trial phase, it will only be available in other countries but not in the US because the German luxury carmaker is apparently using another app in America.
Then there is also the unique feature of the 2017 E-Class where an NFC smartphone can be used as an alternate for car keys. Most of the latest smartphones can be used to open the vehicle door of the luxury sedan because they already have the NFC feature.
It will work by tapping the phone on the car handle on the driver’s side to unlock the car. The car also has a cradle for the phone which provides wireless charging too. Some would wonder that the feature seems too risky as any smartphone with NFC can simply open the vehicle just like that. But the feature only works with a secure SIM card which only the owner knows, so it cannot just be opened by anybody using a smartphone with NFC.
A third refresh of the sedan
The 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the third iteration of the luxury sedan which first came out on sale in 2010. The 2014 model was the second refresh of the sedan that featured a major update.
Based on initial information, the E-Class sedan will also sport a nine-speed automatic transmission, which has already been made available in the past on some Mercedes-Benz models, notes the Motor Authority.
The luxury sedan will also come with a straight-six engine variant, which will be a modular design that would allow it to share components and production lines with smaller four- and three-cylinder units, which are also reportedly in the works.
In addition, there will also be a high-performance E63 variant from Mercedes-AMG, which will feature a powerful twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine and shall have a maximum power of close to 600 horsepower.
The redesigned Mercedes-Benz E-Class was first previewed on the Concept Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile (IAA) segment of the Frankfurt International Auto Show held in September.