An E-Class for the guilty and the guiltless, Mercedes-Benz Australia has announced pricing and specification for the new E350e and AMG E43 variants of its newest mid-size saloon, the E-Class. Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific CEO Horst von Sanden said that the E-Class “has raised the industry benchmark when it comes to new technologies, and we cannot wait to offer this technology and performance in the all-new E-Class early next year.”
The E350e will see the application of the 9G-TRONIC 9-speed automatic for the first time in a plug-in hybrid vehicle. A four-cylinder petrol engine, working in tandem with an electric motor, offers a combined output of 210kW and 550Nm, and a rather swift 0-100km/h time of just 6.2 seconds. Despite this, the E350e also boasts a rated fuel consumption figure of just 2.4l/100km, with an all-electric range of 30kms. As standard, the PHEV E-Class will come with Air Body Control air suspension, a panoramic glass roof, and a pre-entry climate control system, to precondition the cabin to a set temperature prior to departure.
The hot AMG E43 takes a very, very different approach to things. For starters, there’s a twin-turbo 6-cylinder that’s been tweaked and tuned to offer 295kW and 520Nm of twist. “Impressive driving dynamics coupled with cutting-edge efficiency” is what Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG says of the AMG E43. The ‘entry-level’ AMG also provides considerable refinement, with things like Nappa leather and AIR-BALANCE adding a touch of luxury, with AMG bodystyling, AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive, a sports exhaust and braking system, and 20-inch AMG wheels doing their duty to make it unmistakably AMG.
Both E-Class variants arrive in dealerships with a 5-star NCAP safety rating, thanks in part to safety features like 9 airbags, ATTENTION ASSIST, and Driver Assistance Package PLUS coming as standard. The E350e PHEV will start from $131,600, while the AMG E43 starts at a whisker under $160,000 (before ORC).
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