Mercedes-Benz India launched the new 10th-generation E-Class in India today. Priced at Rs 56.15 lakh for the E200 and Rs 69.47 lakh for the E350d (both ex-showroom, Mumbai, before octroi), the new model is costlier than its predecessor. While the new E20L0 costs Rs 499,000 more, the E350d is Rs 567,000 more expensive than before albeit the cars come equipped with many more features.

Mercedes-Benz, which is the leader in the luxury car market in India, decided to launch the new E-Class in its longer wheelbase (LWB) version only mainly due to a large percentage of E-Class owners being chauffeur-driven. 

Speaking at the car’s launch in Mumbai, Roland Folger, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said: “The new E-Class, with its rich history spanning over two decades and with around 34,000 units on Indian roads, remains a very important product in our portfolio. The majority of our E-Class customers in India are chauffeur-driven, and hence it was a natural decision for us to introduce the long wheelbase new E-Class in India. India becomes the only country in the world to offer the right-hand-drive long wheelbase version of the new E-Class, and it took almost 48 months to develop this masterpiece from scratch.” 

India and China are the only two markets where the long wheelbase car is sold, with India being the sole right-hand-drive market for this car.

Both the petrol and the diesel variants employ the same engines from the previous-generation car. The E200 is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol developing 184hp and 300Nm of torque, while the E350d gets a 3.0-litre V6 diesel developing 258hp and 620Nm of torque. Both the engines send power to the rear wheels via the company’s new 9G-Tronic transmission.  

At 5063mm long, the car features a wheelbase extended by 205mm, which frees up 134mm of legroom for rear seat occupants. The LWB sedan pays special attention to rear seat comfort, and features comfortable rear seats with backrests that can be electrically reclined.

The rear head restraints are electrically adjustable and have the S-Class-like soft pillow cushioning. The seats also have a memory function. Taking rear seat comfort a notch further, left rear seat passengers can electrically control the front passenger seat to adjust own legroom. There is also a central armrest with illuminated storage and a USB port minus the heated/cooled cupholder.

Infotainment is handled by a high-resolution 12.3-inch Mercedes’ COMAND online infotainment system and a 13-speaker 590W Burmester sound system. The infotainment, climate control and interior lighting can be controlled via a touchpad. Other highlights are twin touchpads on the steering and the Mercedes rotary controller dial. However, the version sold in India misses out on the fully-digital instrumentation and gets regular twin dials instead.

According to Markus Schaefer, Member of the Divisional Board Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain Management, “With the start of production of the new long-wheelbase E-Class, we are continuously expanding our portfolio of ‘Made in India’ products. Building nine different model derivatives for local demand, Pune has become one of our most flexible plants and an absolutely integral part in the global and efficient production network of Mercedes-Benz Cars.” 

The long-wheelbase E-Class features a host of safety systems, including seven airbags, Attention Assist and the Mercedes PreSafe system.

Mercedes-Benz has certainly upped the ante on luxury sedans with the launch of the E-class LWB and has created a new segment in India. While the decision to offer the vehicle in LWB version only is a gamble, the German carmaker is confident that the sedan is an ideal fit for India given the adverse road and traffic conditions. Mercedes will be banking on the popularity of the E-class, which has been its best-selling model here, to drive sales. It will be interesting to see how the market responds to the long-wheelbase version in the near term.