Just three months after the presentation of the E-Class saloon, Mercedes-Benz is launching a new highlight in the new model series while continuing a tradition that has repeatedly met with great enthusiasm throughout the history of the E-Class. The new E-Class Coupe offers a very special combination of two attributes for which the Mercedes brand is known: fascination and efficiency. With its classic coupe side aspect – no B-pillars and fully retractable side windows – the new two-door car is a particularly sporty interpretation of the E-Class’s dynamic design.
The new E-Class Coupe will be first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and then later be available at showrooms of European Mercedes-Benz dealerships and company-owned sales outlets at the beginning of May 2009.
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The new Coupe offers all the technical innovations of the new E-Class series that one might expect to find in a sports-oriented luxury coupe. These include selective damper control, drowsiness detection, preventive occupant protection and the Active Bonnet. As a feature specific to the Coupe, the Dynamic Driving package allows different suspension setups at the touch of a button. Adaptive Main Beam Assist, road sign recognition and an automatic emergency braking system are other features with which the new series sets standards in this vehicle category.
The E-Class also takes on a pioneering role in the drive sector. The new diesels and direct-injection petrol engines combine efficiency with an effortless power delivery. The engine line-up includes two new four-cylinder models which deliver significantly more power and torque while consuming up to 17 percent less fuel. The best example is the E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Coupe, which consumes 5.3 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres and emits 139 grams of CO2 per kilometre, making it one of the most economical vehicles in its class.
The exemplary, low fuel consumption has not only been achieved because of the new engines, but also with a number of practical measures. These include on-demand activation of the steering and fuel pumps, the use of tyres with low rolling resistance and an alternator control system which takes account of the current driving situation and the vehicle’s electrical power requirements, plus the very decisive factor of outstanding aerodynamics .
The design of the new two-door model includes traditional styling elements which give Mercedes-Benz Coupes their unmistakable identity: for example the side windows, which are not interrupted by a B-pillar and are fully retractable. Another hallmark of Mercedes Coupe design is the sports radiator grille with the large central star. At the same time, however, the new model points the way to the future with an exciting, contemporary design idiom.
At the same time the Coupe shows its close family resemblance to the E-Class Saloon. This is shown by the ‘twin-headlamp face’, with rhomboid contours but somewhat sportier, sharper treatment for a more dynamic and incisive look. Another design feature which the Coupe shares with the Saloon is the powerful contour of the rear wing – a styling cue which also gave the S 220 “Ponton” Coupe of 1955 its athletic appearance. Although it shares family traits with the Saloon, the Coupe has its own, distinct identity characterised by effortless superiority and a greater sense of passion. The arrow shape of the entire front section from front bumper to radiator to bonnet, the more extreme interpretation of the twin headlamp face and its more sinewy build give it a racier and more dynamic presence.
Engines: fuel consumption down by 17 percent
The diesel in the E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Coupe is the top-of-the-range unit in the new generation of Mercedes-Benz four-cylinder engines, which are notable for features such as two-stage turbocharging, precise piezo injectors and the latest common-rail technology. The engine has an output of 150 kW/204 hp and develops a maximum torque of 500 newtonmetres which is available from just 1600 rpm. This means that it is some 36 percent more powerful than the four-cylinder diesel in the preceding model yet consumes 17 percent less fuel: 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres (combined NEDC consumption, provisional figure). This corresponds to a carbon dioxide emission level of 138 grams per kilometre.
The turbocharged V6 diesel engine with common-rail direct injection remains in the line-up. Fitted in the E 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Coupe, it develops 170 kW/231 hp (previously: 165 kW/224 hp) and consumes 6.8 litres per 100 kilometres (combined) in the NEDC cycle. Its carbon-dioxide emissions are 179 grams per kilometre.
Two new petrol engines with direct injection
Mercedes-Benz has also chosen to move over to direct-injection technology for its petrol engines. Once again, the E-Class Coupe points the way: the powerplant at work under the bonnet of the E 250 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY Coupe is a newly developed four-cylinder direct-injection unit with 150 kW/204 hp and a five-speed automatic transmission as standard. This engine makes do with 7.0 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (combined NEDC consumption, provisional figure). CO2 emissions are 164 grams per kilometre. This is some 13 percent less than the figure for the previous four-cylinder engine (135 kW/184 hp) with conventional fuel injection.
Mercedes-Benz has replaced the previous V6 petrol engine with the world’s first six-cylinder unit featuring spray-guided direct petrol injection in the new E 350 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY Coupe. This engine develops 215 kW/292 hp – an extra 15 kW/20 hp – and consumes about 14 percent less fuel than the previous V6 engine: its combined NEDC consumption per 100 kilometres is just 8.5 litres. This corresponds to 199 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
In the top-of-the-range model, the E 500 Coupe, the muscular V8 engine with 285 kW/388 hp and 530 newtonmetres of torque offers the performance characteristics of a sports car. Mercedes engineers have enhanced details of the eight-cylinder unit, reducing the fuel consumption (compared to the preceding model) by 0.5 litres to 10.9 litres per 100 kilometres (combined NEDC consumption). All the engines in the new E-Class Coupes meet the EU5 exhaust emission standard.
Safety: sensors, radar and cameras for safe driving
The safety systems newly developed for the E-Class are based on accident research findings; they can make a valuable contribution to enabling safe, accident-free driving, improving vehicle occupant protection and, moreover, helping to increase the safety of other road users. These trend-setting developments are also available for the new E-Class Coupe, or are included in its standard equipment. Based on highly sensitive sensors, cameras and radar systems, they turn this two-door model into an “intelligent partner” able to see, feel and react reflexively in critical situations and, if necessary, act independently if the danger of an accident is acute.
Drowsinessis one of the most common causes of accidents on motorways. This is why Mercedes experts have developed the ATTENTION ASSIST system which forms part of the standard equipment of the new E-Class Coupe. As the vehicle is being driven, the system continuously evaluates more than 70 different parameters in order to identify driver drowsiness and provide a warning before the dangerous microsleep phase begins. Observing the driver’s steering behaviour has proved to be a particularly strong indicator: several years of practical research by Mercedes engineers have shown that drowsy drivers make minor steering errors which they often correct very rapidly in a characteristic way. This steering behaviour is recognised by a special steering angle sensor.
Also fitted as standard is the PRE-SAFE® anticipatory occupant protection system – a Mercedes invention which has received a number of awards and which is not offered by any other vehicle in this class. If there is an immediate danger of an accident occurring, the system activates protective measures for the driver and front passenger as a precaution so that the seat belts and airbags can provide their full protective effect on impact. This warning of an impending accident is possible because PRE-SAFE® uses the sensors of the Brake Assist system and the Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) to identify potentially critical dynamic handling situations.
Adaptive Main Beam Assist for the best possible road illumination
Like the Saloon, the new E-Class Coupe also offers the latest lighting technology. The headlamps adjust continuously to the current driving situation and react automatically to offer the driver the best possible degree of road illumination at all times. This task is taken care of by the Adaptive Main Beam Assist function: a camera fitted on the inside of the windscreen allows the system to detect oncoming vehicles/vehicles in front and automatically controls the headlamps to prevent the other road users from being dazzled. As a result, the range of the dipped-beam headlamps can increase from the current norm of 65 metres to as much as 300 metres. If the road ahead is clear, the system performs a gradual transition to high-beam mode.
Adaptive Main Beam Assist is based on the bi-xenon headlamps, which Mercedes-Benz offers in combination with LED daytime driving lights.
Automatic emergency braking when a collision is imminent
The well-proven assistance systems from the S-Class which help to prevent rear-end collisions are now available for the E-Class Coupe, too. They use long and short-range radar sensors to monitor the traffic situation ahead of the vehicle and warn the driver if there is a risk of an accident. Mercedes-Benz combines these technologies in the DISTRONIC PLUSsystem; along with the proximity control system – which automatically maintains the Coupe at a set distance from the vehicle in front and can brake it to a standstill if required by the traffic situation – this comprises Brake Assist PLUS and the PRE-SAFE® Brake.
Brake Assist PLUS intervenes if there is suddenly a very rapid reduction in the distance. In this situation, the system warns the driver and almost instantaneously calculates the degree of braking assistance necessary to prevent a collision. This brake force is available immediately the driver depresses the brake pedal. Depending on the speed and distance, it allows controlled braking to a defined point or – if necessary – emergency braking.
The PRE-SAFE® Brake goes a step further and automatically brakes the E-Class if there is imminent danger of a collision and the driver does not react to the warnings. This can reduce the severity of an impact considerably, as the system can be regarded as something like an “electronic crumple zone” which offers the occupants an even greater degree of safety.
Most comprehensive array of safety features in this vehicle category
With seven standard-fit airbags, belt tensioners and belt force limiters on all seats, as well as crash-responsive head restraints for the driver and front passenger, the new E-Class Coupe offers the most comprehensive array of safety features in this vehicle category. The range of airbags, which can deploy in thousandths of a second in an accident, comprises front and side airbags for the driver and front passenger, a kneebag for the driver and windowbags. Rear sidebags are available as an optional extra.
The front crumple zone has four independent impact planes which allow the forces to be distributed over a wide area while bypassing the passenger cell. Furthermore, increased use of extra-high-strength steel alloys helps the vehicle body to withstand high impact loads. In fact, particularly strong grades of steel like this account for about two thirds of all the sheet metal used in the bodyshell of the E-Class Coupe.
An Active Bonnet, which forms part of the standard equipment, is the latest development to result from Mercedes-Benz’s long-standing and successful commitment to pedestrian protection. In the event of an impact, a system of springs raises the rear section of the bonnet by 50 millimetres within a fraction of a second, thereby increasing the available deformation space. A special feature of the Mercedes system is its reversible mechanism which allows the driver to reset the Active Bonnet without having to visit a workshop.
Model range: individuality through variety
With an initial line-up of five engines, three suspension variants, a wide choice of colours, six different wheel/tyre combinations and many optional extras, the new E-Class Coupe offers plenty of scope for customers to turn their individual automotive dreams into reality. The basis for configuring the look and feel of the Coupe is provided by the ELEGANCE and AVANTGARDE interior concepts.
These not only offer different upholsteries and items of trim, but are complete configuration packages designed to create a harmonious atmosphere. Depending on the choice, the interior differs in its colour scheme and mix of materials to emphasise the elegant or progressive character of the Coupe.
The AMG Sports package, on the other hand, clearly focusses on agility and performance potential. AMG bodystyling includes the unmistakable contours of the AMG front apron with large air intakes, AMG side skirts and the expressive AMG rear apron with a black insert. High-sheen 18-inch AMG light-alloy wheels in a 6 twin-spoke design with wide-base tyres in size 235/40 R 18 at the front and 255/35 R 18 at the rear provide further highlights. The AGILITY CONTROL sports suspension with a stiffer spring, shock absorber and stabiliser setup is combined with large, perforated brake discs at the front, plus brake callipers with Mercedes-Benz lettering. Perfect road contact is ensured by the sports speed-sensitive steering with a more direct ratio.
Striking interior features include upholstery in black ARTICO man-made leather. Leather or the particularly exclusive nappa leather is also available in a wide range of colours. Multicontour seats for the driver and front passenger provide the best possible adjustment to personal comfort preferences, thereby ensuring outstanding long-distance comfort.
With production limited to the first few months, the E-Class Coupe is also available as a Prime Edition series which particularly emphasises the new model’s character with selected, high-grade features. Among the most eye-catching are the palladium silver metallic paint finish, a panoramic glass sliding roof and 18-inch AMG high-sheen light-alloy wheels painted in titanium grey. Inside, a designo-interior with two-tone designo leather upholstery, matching designo floor mats and a sports pedal cluster of brushed stainless steel rounds off the exclusive overall impression.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe can be ordered from 19 February. Prices in Germany (including 19 percent VAT):
E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Coupe: 44,684.50 Euro
E 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Coupe: 48,671.00 Euro
E 250 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY Coupe: 44,684.50 Euro
E 350 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY Coupe: 51,408.00 Euro
E 500 Coupe: 66,045.00 Euro.