REVVED UP
MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ALL-TERRAIN TAKES TO THE WILD
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class saloon is considered by many to be the best mainstream car from the German brand in years. As a fast motorway or auto route ride it is certainly hard to beat, but what about when the going gets tougher? Well, the good news is that Mercedes has this one covered with the brilliant E-Class All-Terrain Estate.
From unpaved tracks and trails to steep, snow-bound roads, the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain can tackle routes where conventional estates have to give up. This is thanks to greater ground clearance and 4MATIC all-wheel drive. Rugged styling and flared wheel arches also give it a tough look. The car made its debut at the Paris Motor Show 2016. We now know that the first cars will arrive in the UK from around Springtime. Pricing and specification will be announced soon.
Thanks to off-road styling elements the All-Terrain has a powerful and robust appearance which also distinguishes it from the classic estate. An eye-catching feature of the front is the SUV-style two-fin grille with the star integrated in the centre. The distinctive front bumper and lower panelling also contribute to the robust appearance.
At the side, the black wheel arch covers are a distinctive feature that emphasise the car’ s all-terrain character. This also applies to the black side skirt that features a chrome trip strip. Three exclusive alloy wheel sets in 19” and 20” formats with higher sidewalls help give the vehicle greater ground clearance and enhanced comfort on rough roads.
Inside, the aluminium-carbon look trim is exclusive to the All-Terrain with stainless steel sports pedals and floor mats with All-Terrain lettering. The new model boasts all the load compartment flexibility of the E-Class estate, such as the rear seat cargo position and a standard 40:20:40 split-folding rear seat back. All E-Class innovations relating to safety, comfort and convenience are available as you would expect.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain will be launched as an E 220d 4MATIC with the newly developed fourcylinder 194hp diesel engine. Expect BIK to be around 23. Later a variant with a six-cylinder diesel engine will follow.
Both models come with the new 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic transmission as standard.
Selecting the All-Terrain driving programme raises the chassis via the standard air body control by + 20 mm up to a speed of 35 km / h. Information displayed includes the steering angle, the vehicle level( position of the air suspension), the angle of slope and the angle of inclination, the accelerator / brake position and a compass. Useful information when terrain get rugged.
No Mercedes-Benz E-Class has ever been as versatile as the All-Terrain. The new model combines a striking look in SUV style with the intelligent space concept of the estate. This is coupled with lots of innovative safety features and the multi-award winning E-Class interior. A great alternative to the regular estate version.
Written by Geoff Maxted www. drivewrite. co. uk
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30 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2017