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First Drive Q&A: 2010 Mercedes E-Class

AS
by Autobytel Staff
May 8, 2009
7 min. Reading Time
 Photo by Elliot Darvick

Photo by Elliot Darvick

There are a number of ways to answer that question. If you look at it in terms of cars Mercedes is bringing to market in 2009, according to them it is "the most important launch for Mercedes-Benz this year." Considering they have sold 12 million of its predecessors over 62 years, you can understand why. That said, the answer you are probably looking for is that this vehicle slots between the entry point into the Mercedes lineup, the C-Class, and the "I'm not just a client, I'm also the president" S-Class, which sits at the other end of the offering

How has the new E-Class changed over the last generation E-Class?

There's a new interpretation of the E-Class dual head lamp design, replacing the jelly bean look with a more aggressive angular shape that's also echoed in the optional LED daytime running lights below. The lines on the side of the car moving towards the bumper are also more muscular, and the tail lamps have been completely redesigned as well. Dimensionally it is a slightly bigger vehicle in nearly every dimension, including an extra 1-inch of leg room in back, though through smart engineering (like lowering the vehicle ride height to reduce drag), fuel economy is actually improved.

Well how has the new E-Class different beyond the obvious exterior changes?

Hidden from view are numerous upgrades to the structure of the car, including a new suspension, and a body that is 30 percent stronger. A whole host of safety-related upgrades are offered as well (more on that later). A new user-interface system for controlling multimedia and information systems is a huge improvement both in terms of usability and placement, and a larger screen is now standard too. Oh, and if the countless upgrades and 6,000,000 miles spent developing the new E-Class aren't enough to pique your interest, the price on the base E-Class has been dropped from $53,200 to $48,600 -- and it includes more standard equipment than the model it replaces too.

What is the most interesting piece of technology on the new E-Class?

We'll answer your question with a question. What causes nearly 25% of all accidents? If you said drunk driving, than perhaps you're expecting a new breathalyzer smart key on the E-Class. Well the culprit is driving fatigue, so you get Attention Assistant, the new technology from Mercedes-Benz that detects when someone is likely going to fall asleep behind the wheel (and we've all been there). The best part of this system is that it comes standard on all E-Class models, so no need to worry when 3 a.m. hits and you need to drive from Las Vegas back to LA because you just bet away your room key.

How does Attention Assist work? Is there a cappuccino machine in the glove box?

Clever, but that option is only available on the Maybach. Rather than relying on a camera to monitor a driver's eyes like some competing systems do, the Attention Assistant system interprets 70 different driver input variables, from wheel angle (driver is making lots of steering corrections) to time of day (it's very late) to even minor things like interaction with the stereo (on full blast) to the air conditioning (also on full blast). It uses an algorithm to determine if a combination of these variables indicate someone is off to Doze-ington, and then creates an alert suggesting that perhaps the driver should give it a break for the night.


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