Mercedes E-Class Coupe slashed to $80k

MERCEDES-BENZ has cut the price of entry to its E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet range by close to $20,000 with the introduction of a brand new entry variant.

The introduction of an E 200 starting point headlines a range-wide mid-life update to hit showrooms this month, a few weeks after the similarly upgraded E-Class sedan and wagon.

This new base version features a 135kW/300Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, with a starting price of $79,900 plus on-road costs for the hardtop and $88,900 for the soft-top.

Pre-update entry-level E 250 versions, which now become mid-range offerings, previously retailed for $95,000 and $107,850 respectively.

This means the entry Coupe is now $15,100 cheaper than before, while the base Cabriolet is an even more substantial $18,950 cheaper.

The 135kW/300Nm 2.0-litre engine fitted in the E200 uses a claimed 6.0 litres of fuel per 100km in the Coupe and 6.5L/100km in the Cabrio.

A version of this engine also joins the revised E 250 range, tuned to produce a meatier 155kW and 350Nm – the same as the recently released B 250 and A 250 hatchbacks.

It means the old 150kW/310Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine has been given the flick.

Pricing for this revised E 250 has increased to $96,400 for the Coupe (up $1400), although the equivalent Cabriolet version has dropped by $1450 to $106,400.

Moving up the range, the revised E 250 CDI Coupe produces 150kW and 500Nm of torque from its two-stage turbo-diesel engine while consuming as little as 4.7L/100km on the combined cycle.

Mercedes has dropped the oil-burner from the Cabriolet range.

Price cuts carry over to the diesel: the E 250 Coupe will retail for $98,900 (the previous one was $101,500).

Finally, the old E 350 six-cylinder and E 500 V8 petrol offerings have made way for a single new E 400, which uses a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine producing 245kW of power and 480Nm of torque.

The E400s are said to be good for a zero to 100km/h sprint in 5.2 seconds for the Coupe or 5.3s for the Cabriolet.

Despite featuring an extra 20kW of power and 110Nm of torque over the old E 350, the E 400 Coupe will be $2700 cheaper at $128,900, although the E 400 Cabriolet will cost $142,900, up $700 over the old E 350.

Range-wide changes beyond the more efficient and torque-rich powertrains include extra standard features and revised sheet metal that mostly mirrors the four-door update, including the same new bonnet and single-lens LED headlamps.

Some separation is built in by the bold single-blade grille, which is fitted in place of the two-blade affair on the four-door models.

Furthermore, the seven-speed automatic transmission has been tweaked for greater efficiency and easier service, and gains a new manual mode that slips back into efficient automatic mode if the driver does not continue to manually shift the gears.

Both bodystyles also get so-called agility control suspension with dampers that automatically adapt to the road surface.

Electro-mechanical steering has been adopted, not only helping to save fuel but also making parking assistance possible.

Standard features on the range include Active Park Assist and self-parking (parallel and end-on), 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless-go, climate control, LED lights and a neck-heating system in the Cabriolet called Airscarf.

Adaptive headlights now are switched permanently to high beam, with an anti-dazzle feature masking the beam to prevent on-coming drivers from being blinded.

In addition, the E 400 Coupe and Cabriolet versions get a Harman Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system and 360-degree camera.

Safety features include adaptive cruise control with steering and lane-keeping assist, active blind-spot monitoring and autonomous braking.

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class two-door pricing:*,
Coupe
E 200 (a)	$79,900
E 250 (a)	$96,400
E 250 CDI (a)	$98,900
E 400 (a)	$128,900
Cabriolet
E 200 (a)	$88,900
E 250 (a)	$106,400
E 400 (a)	$142,900