New E gets a pair of eights (UPDATED)

Newswheel staff :: 12 April 2006 :: Filed under Estate/Wagon, Saloon, Mercedes Benz, Mercedes Benz E-Class, Europe & UK, US

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Mercedes’ cash cow gets a mild makeover and new engines

With the all new E still a few years out (due late 2008 by most estimates), MB has released a buffed ‘n polished development of the existing W211 model. Headline news includes six new or significantly revamped engines and more electronic jiggery pokery than you can shake a satnav screen at…

On the oil burning front, three of the old E’s lumps have been massaged to deliver more performance. The entry level 2.0-litre smoker will now unload 136bhp and 250lb/ft while returning identical fuel economy to the outgoing mill, the 220CDI hops up to 170bhp and the 320CDI clatters to the tune of 224bhp and 398 lb/ft.

For petrol preferring punters, the big news is a pair of brand new V8 engines. MB’s fab new 5.5-litre quad cam V8 finds its way into the revamped E500, complete with 388 autobahn munching ponies. That’s 26 per cent up on the outgoing single cam, three valve engine and sufficient to slice 0.7 seconds off the zero to 62mph sprint, now dispatched in a piffling 5.3 seconds. If that’s not enough, the new E 63 AMG rocks with AMG’s shiny new 6.3-litre V8 monster. It’s an all-AMG effort, not based on any existing Mercedes engine block and kicks out exceedingly adequate figures of 514bhp and 467 lb/ft. The other new petrol mill is a tweaked 2.0-litre supeprcharged unit, up by 12.5 per cent for a pleasingly symmetrical and fairly fulsome 184bhp and 184 lb/ft.

In terms of chassis and driving response, MB has delivered the boot courtesy of the new Direct Control package. That’s a quicker steering rack (by 10 per cent), rebound buffer springs to reduce body roll and a new gear linkage on the six-speed manual models, should you care.

Tech-wise, well, this is the year 2006. And this is a new Mercedes-Benz motor car. So, faintly ludicrous levels of electronic trickery are par for the course. First up is Adaptive Brake from the new S. If severing direct control over the hydraulic brake system in favour of an electronic nanny is your bag, look no further. Just don’t expect feelsome response as you bang in the quick laps. Of course, that’s hardly the point of this of this mid-sized exec. Other technological highlights include Merc’s new Intelligent Light System, which adapts the output of the car’s bi-xenon torches to suit driving conditions and the full PRE-SAFE Monty, again as seen on the new S-Class. The award-winning system detects imminent collision events and preps seat belts and airbags for maximum occupant protection.

The new-ish E goes on sale across Euroland in June. We’ll pass on UK pricing and availability info as we get it…

Update
A few choice shots of the new E 63 AMG: