First Mercedes E-Class lands Down Under

JUST a month out from launching its fifth-generation E-Class range in Australia, Mercedes-Benz has showed off the first two cars to arrive at its Melbourne training facility.

An E220d that has been fitted with an AMG bodykit and wheel-set has arrived alongside an entry-level E200, as Benz technicians and staff get up to speed on the new car.

The stage is set for a multi-variant launch at the end of the month, with the E200, E220d and E350d to debut first.

Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific manager of public relations and product communications Jerry Stamoulis told GoAuto that the segment-leading E-Class would be able to hold its own sales-wise in a Mercedes catalogue more dominated by SUVs than it was when the fourth-generation car arrived in 2009.

He also suggested that current E-Class owners would gravitate to the new car, despite price rises across the board for the large sedan.

“There will be a small proportion of customers who really want that latest technology, and we think that there’s no other car on the road that will be able to deliver what this can in a vehicle such as the E-Class that has the same features they know from other Mercedes-Benz models,” he told GoAuto at the launch of the C63 S Coupe in Melbourne.

He also explained that the E-Class would act as much as a technological leader as a luxury leader.

“Rather than luxury and technology being quite equal (in the E-Class), the technology factor has lifted,” he said. “We’ve already positioned the S-Class as the luxury leader and the current one is still doing very well.

“There will be features and options that you find in the S-Class you won’t find in the E-Class, and at this stage, the E-Class does have more tech than the S-Class.”The entry-level petrol E200 will start at at $89,990 plus on-road costs, $9590 up the outgoing car, while the base diesel variant, the four-cylinder E220d, goes up $10,000, to $92,900.

A new six-cylinder diesel-powered sedan, the $134,900 E350d, will complete the three-variant launch line-up, with more to come from late this year.

Mr Stamoulis said the next E-Class variants to arrive in Australia will be the E300 and E400 4Matic later in 2016.

The Estate wagon variants will follow next year, along with the AMG-enhanced sports varieties, in E43 and E63 S versions.

2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class pricing*

E200 (a)	$89,990
E220d (a)	$92,900
E350d (a)	$134,900

*Excludes on-road costs