Mercedes-Benz will be officially rolling out the two-door coupe version of its 2017 E-Class next month but the German luxury carmaker has already made it available for test driving by motoring journalists in many parts of Europe.
The verdicts are consensus – the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe is better in every subjective way than its predecessor, which was released by the German carmaker in 2010, reports Drive.
The new E-Class Coupe is far more attractive than the angular appearance of its six-year-old predecessor. There is also a stylish new interior sporting unique design touches.
The latest Coupe also exudes a longer cabin with added accommodation for the rear-seat occupants, new petrol and diesel engine variants, the option of rear- and all-wheel drive, and a more contemporary platform offering greater engagement.
In its high-end variants, the Coupe also features the Mercedes-Benz’s latest three-chamber air suspension for improved ride comfort.
A more cohesive-looking car
It is clear that the Mercedes-Benz’s design team has delivered a more cohesive looking car than the old E-Class Coupe. Most prominent of all is the almost total lack of feature or character lines throughout the flanks and around the rear wheelhouses.
Further distinguishing design elements featured on the new model include Mercedes-Benz’s now traditional soft nose grille, a more conventional bonnet that eschews the side fender clamshell style shut line of its predecessor, frameless doors, and heavy tumblehome effect to the glasshouse.
There is also a notable lack of B-pillars, flowing C-pillar, defined shoulder line over the rear wheelhouses, shallow rear screen, sloping boot line, and trapezoidal shape tailpipes integrated within the lower section of the rear bumper.
The new coupe will become the first model to offer a delete option for the rotary controller that has formed an integral part of Mercedes-Benz’s Comand infotainment system since 2003.
Mercedes-Benz plans to offer up to five E-Class Coupe models including the E200 Coupe with a 135kW version of the German car maker’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine and an E300 Coupe running the same engine but in a higher state of tune at 180kW. Further up the line-up is the E400 4Matic Coupe.
On the diesel side is an E220d Coupe fitted with Mercedes-Benz’s new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder oil burner with 143kW and an E350d Coupe running the German carmaker’s familiar turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine with 190kW.
A much more compelling car
Some critics also believe that the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe is a much more compelling and rounded car than its predecessor, cites Autocar of UK.
The vehicle does not lack for straight-line performance, nor mechanical refinement in the most soothing of its five driving modes.
Mated to Mercedes-Benz’s smooth-shifting nine-speed automatic transmission and with the optional 4Matic four-wheel drive system providing a nominal 55% of drive to the rear wheels, the 60-degree unit propels the E400 Coupé along in a wonderfully effortless manner and is whisper-quiet at anything but manic revs.
Along with a clear focus on performance and economy, the prime objective during the three-year development of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé was to enhance its handling and refining its ride in a bid to make it more attractive to a wider group of customers.
Critics also believe that it is the quality of the ride on the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe that impresses the most, though. Despite sitting a nominal 15-mm lower than the saloon, the coupé manages to soak up the worst of what the roads have to throw at it with great authority.
There is little doubt that the new model is a vastly better and more rounded car than its predecessor.
From the passenger seat, it displays all the endearing qualities potential buyers will surely be seeking; engaging performance, entertaining handling, superb ride quality, and outstanding refinement.