Evaluation of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class long-axle version: 11 exclusive Chinese configurations are added to show sincerity

At the 2023 Guangzhou Auto Show, the new Mercedes-Benz E-class long wheelbase version will be on pre-sale, with a pre-sale price of 45-540,000 yuan, and the new car will be officially launched on December 14. On the eve of the launch of the new car, Tencent Auto got the new Mercedes-Benz E300 L sports model, and brought you the dynamic evaluation content of the model in advance.

Appearance introduction

The new Mercedes-Benz E-class also provides two options: the front face of the sports version and the front face of the luxury version. The front face design continues to inherit the previous generation model, but the difference is that a new ambient light strip has been added to the inside of the grille profile, which has a certain degree of recognition at night or in dark environments.

In terms of body size, the length, width and height of the new car are 5092x1880x1493mm, and the wheelbase is 3094mm. Compared with the previous model, the length of the car has increased by 14 mm, the width of the car has increased by 20 mm, the height of the car has increased by 13 mm, and the wheelbase has increased by 15 mm. The body features a split front and rear double waistline, a more streamlined C-pillar roof-to-tail line, the iconic long-axis logo is maintained, and the corner windows are separated from the doors as usual.

The door handles are the latest in the family, with 19-inch wheels on the E300L model, 245 front and 275 rear wheels, and 18-inch wheels on the E260L.

The rear design is the most recognizable part of the previous generation, with the taillights being more slender and rounded, and the three-dimensional shape of the triangular starlight in the lamp cavity is more recognizable than the previous generation. Although the light strip is visually a through-type design, it can not be lit through, and the chrome trim strip runs through the left and right, with the styling design of the ducktail, which makes the vehicle more wide-body and elegant than the previous generation model, and the real car is more prominent than the picture.

Interior design

The interior design of the new E-Class Long Wheelbase integrates the design language found on the EQS, with the screen replacing most of the physical buttons, and the air conditioning vents are designed along the way to blend in with the contours of the screen. Compared with the previous generation model, the atmosphere lighting of the new car has reduced the halo projection design, adopts a fresher and sharper light strip line, encircles the entire cabin, and adds a more layered outline in the center of the air conditioning vent, which has a strong sense of atmosphere at night.

The new car adopts an independent floating central control screen, supports naked-eye 3D effect, the picture can not be taken but the actual experience is more shocking, if you are not adapted, you can also switch back to 2D state. In addition, the combination of HUD + dragonfly steering wheel + electronic pocket gear has been continued.

The 14.4-inch central control screen and the 12.3-inch passenger screen are integrated in a trim plate, equipped with Qualcomm 8295 chip and 5G communication technology, and built-in Mercedes-Benz's third-generation MBUX intelligent human-computer interaction system. In the actual experience process, the fluency does not show the performance that the 8295 should have, and there is still a certain gap between the car and machine logic and the models of mainstream new energy independent brands, but compared with the joint venture car or the previous generation model, there is still a lot of progress.

The angle and position of the co-pilot's screen still need to be optimized, so that the co-pilot can watch the drama very comfortably, and there will be a certain amount of reflection during the day. However, the screen is still equipped with some black technology,For example, the anti-peeping function is only anti-peeping when the co-pilot screen plays entertainment/film and television content,Other times it can be seen,This is more magical。

The new car shows full sincerity for Chinese consumers in the rear row, with 11 China-exclusive features including continuous ambient lighting in the rear, 36-degree reclining rear power-adjustable seats, extended rear center console with ambient lighting and wood trim, extended rear seat cushions, rear center armrest, electric leg rest, and rear triangular window.

In terms of seating configuration, the test drive model is a sub-top model, and the front seat of the vehicle is equipped with a ventilation/heating function, and the main driver and boss can be remotely adjusted for the co-pilot seat. The rear seats support ventilation/heating/headrest heating. 

In terms of space, we adjust the front seats to the lowest, with 1 fist of headroom left, the front row does not move into the rear row, the headroom is left 2 fingers, and the legroom is more than 2 fists, the rear seat cushion can be electrically extended, and the backrest also supports electric 36-degree adjustment, which is enough to support the legs and back. Since the vehicle is a front-mounted rear-wheel drive vehicle, it is inevitable that the propeller shaft will have a bulge in the center to encroach on the space. (Editor's height: 183cm)

Dynamic Feelings:

In terms of power, the new car has been upgraded from M264 to M254 models, equipped with a 2.0T engine + 48V mild hybrid power combination. Our test drive model is the E300 L sports model, with a maximum power of 190kW, a peak torque of 400N·m, a 000 acceleration of 6.6 seconds, and a comprehensive fuel consumption of 6.65L/100km, which is 0.3 seconds higher than that of the previous generation model, and a fuel consumption reduction of 0.9L/100km. (E260 L has a maximum output of 150 kW, a maximum torque of 320 Nm, a 0-100 acceleration time of 7.7 seconds, a combined fuel consumption of 6.15 L/100 km, and a reduction of 1.3 L/100 km)

In the longitudinal dimension, the new car has inherited the excellent driving quality of the previous generation model, the adjustment of the accelerator pedal is very calm and conservative, and it takes nearly one-third of the stroke to get the power required for daily starting acceleration, which also makes the initial section of the vehicle very precise and easy to control, and it is easy to step on a smooth and linear speed curve. When you have a strong demand for power, you only need to press the accelerator pedal deeper, and the intervention of power at this time is not abrupt at all, the response is fast but the subjective feeling is not strong, which will give you the illusion of driving a self-priming car, and the final feedback of the acceleration effect is still considerable. The brake pedal is soft at the beginning, the damping feeling in the middle and rear section is gradually increasing, the overall braking process is comfortable and linear, and takes into account the good braking confidence, such adjustment is easy to help the driver stop the car smoothly, and take more care of the feelings of other occupants in the car.

In the lateral dimension, the steering feel of the vehicle is very brisk, and the medium and high speeds do not gain to that exaggerated calmness, which cannot bring you strong and precise driving confidence, as if it is constantly guiding you to drive it calmly. This tuning is consistent with the performance of the vertical dimension.

In terms of chassis, the all-new E-Class long-axle version adopts multi-link independent suspension at the front and rear, and the shock absorbers support soft and hard adjustment, which is linked to the driving mode. The feeling of the new car in the vertical dimension is somewhat neutral and hard, the road sense feedback is clear, and the sense of isolation between the vehicle and the road surface is not as strong as expected, which also has a certain separation from the setting of the horizontal and vertical dimensions. Of course, this can also be due to high tire pressure or the application of run-flat tires.

In terms of NVH, the front and rear windows of the vehicle are made of double-layer laminated glass, which has excellent wind noise suppression. Engine noise can maintain a good sense of quietness and isolation in the low speed range, with the increase of speed, the crisp sound wave of the engine will gradually enter, but it is not unpleasant, I personally think that it is not noise, it is an extension of the sports atmosphere. In contrast, road and tire noise is somewhat obvious, and the width of the rear tire of the 275 and the application of run-flat tires will make this part of the noise suppression more difficult, which is understandable.

In terms of intelligent driving, the new Mercedes-Benz E-class long-axle version can achieve L2+ level driving assistance, and can realize functions such as automatic cruise, automatic following, automatic lane change overtaking, and large car avoidance at high speeds.

Editor's summary:

In terms of statics, the exterior of the car, especially the rear design, has been significantly improved compared with the previous generation of the E-Class, and the rear configuration has also been upgraded in 11 places for the Chinese market. In terms of dynamics, the new car inherits the excellent driving quality of the previous generation, and the addition of 48V mild hybrid does not affect the comfort of the vehicle, and effectively reduces fuel consumption. At present, the biggest competitor of the new Mercedes-Benz E-class is the new BMW 5 Series, the new 5 Series has a new interior design, a refreshing sense of luxury and technology, and is more radical than the E-class. In today's fiercely competitive Chinese market, the "big brothers" of the once first-tier luxury brands have shown their sincerity, and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain their position.

Photo/text: Tencent Automobile, Bo Xiao 

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