India-bound Mercedes-Benz E-Class breaks cover

- Sixth-generation E-Class gets new styling, upgraded equipment

- A new electrified powertrain is part of the update

- Expected to come to India later this year

Mercedes-Benz has officially revealed the new-gen E-Class to the world. The executive sedan now enters into its sixth generation and adopts new family design, gets revamped equipment and a host of new powertrain options.

The new styling means the E-Class now looks much sportier than the stately appearance of the outgoing model. The rounded headlamps appear smaller than the older model and the grille design is tweaked as well. The bumper design is characteristically that of a Merc’s mid-size sedan. In profile, the sloping roofline and clean lines make the E-Class appear like a smaller version of the S-Class.

At the rear, the tail lamps are new and are akin to the GLE. The petite bootlid adds to the sporty appeal while the Estate version gets a familiar Merc design. The bumper at the back also seems to be carried forward from the outgoing model. On the inside, the E-Class now comes as standard with two 10.25-inch screens for the MBUX infotainment along with a 12.3inch screen for the driver is optional. The new steering wheel gets capacitive touch controls. The rest of the cabin looks characteristically that of a Mercedes-Benz.

The new E also gets a host of active safety equipment. This includes hands-off detection, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, active steering assist, automatic emergency braking, active blind-spot assist, and a 360-degree camera. The AMG trims get the additional sporty bits as usual.

Under the hood, revised engine line-up includes seven petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid variants across the saloon and estate body style offered with either rear- or four-wheel drive. The PHEVs put out between 154bhp to 362bhp for the petrol units and 158bhp to 326bhp for the diesel. Apart from these, the usual six-cylinder powertrain is available with a 48V electric setup as well. The potent E53 AMG produces 429bhp/520Nm.

Prices for the new-gen E-Class aren’t divulged yet. The sedan and estate will soon be joined by the rugged All-Terrain model. After it goes on sale in the international markets, we expect the new E-Class to promptly make its Indian debut. It continues to rivals the like of BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Jaguar XF, all of which are due for an update.