January 16, 2002

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Preview:
2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
by Greg Wilson

The world got its first look at the redesigned 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class on January 15th at the Brussels Motor Show in Belgium. The new E-Class will go on sale in Europe in March, and in North America in late summer. The 2003 E-Class model range will consist of the six cylinder E320 and a new V8-powered E500 sedan (replacing the E430). A wagon and high-performance AMG model will likely follow in 2004.

"The E-Class is the "heart" of the Mercedes-Benz brand. No other model reflects the basic values of our brand as clearly as the new E-Class: safety, comfort, innovative engineering and individuality packaged in an exciting design," said Professor Jürgen Hubbert, member of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars.

"With approximately 1.4 million units produced since 1995, the E-Class is one of the most successful Mercedes models," remarked Dr. Joachim Schmidt, head of Sales and Marketing. "No other saloon in the luxury class segment is as popular as the E-Class, as witness the average worldwide market share of 24 percent."

World premiere of the new E-Class in Brussels, Prof. Jürgen Hubbert, Dr. Hans-Joachim Schöpf, Helmut Petri, Dr. Joachim Schmidt. Click image to enlarge

Mercedes-Benz spent four years and over two billion Euros developing the new E-Class model, which was last redesigned in 1995.

The 2003 E-Class sedan offers a number of technological innovations, such as electro-hydraulic braking (first seen in the new SL roadster), a new four-link front suspension and optional air suspension, improved crashworthiness, smarter airbags, four-zone climate control, and new inflatable, contoured front seats.

The new E-Class sedan retains its familiar twin large oval headlamps and two smaller lamps, but they've been redesigned and slightly angled back. The side view of the E-Class is also sleeker and sportier. The taillights are larger, and like other Benz sedans, are now bordered by the edge of the trunklid.

A newly developed four-link front suspension and a multi-link independent rear suspension made of aluminium have improved agility, handling and vehicle dynamics, say Mercedes. Mercedes-Benz has also increased ride comfort with the optional AIRMATIC DC (Dual Control) air suspension system, which uses state-of-the-art microelectronics to control both springing and damping. Sensors monitor the road condition, driving style and vehicle load ensuring that AIRMATIC DC always selects the best possible shock absorber and spring settings. This air suspension will be standard equipment in the top-of-the-range E500 V8 model, and optional on the E320.

The new E-Class sedan is fitted with Sensotronic Brake Control, a standard electro-hydraulically controlled braking system first introduced on the SL Roadster. When depressed, the brake pedal activates sensors and a computer that tells four fast-acting valves exactly how hard to apply the brakes on each wheel. A special electrically-driven hydraulic pump and a high-pressure reservoir (or accumulator) provide "always-on" full brake pressure to each wheel, with the computer-operated modulator valves controlling how much pressure actually operates the brakes at each wheel. A backup hydraulic master cylinder comes into play only if there's a serious problem or electrical failure. With split-second accuracy, the system can change brake pressure on each wheel over uneven surfaces and can even increase brake pressure on the outside wheels when braking in turns. ABS anti-lock and ESP stability control work more efficiently since they are more integrated with the brake operation.

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Compared to the current model the body structure of the new E-Class has larger deformation zones at the front end. They ensure better energy absorption during an accident, allowing the passenger cell to remain substantially undamaged during a severe impact. The proportion of high-strength alloys, which provide maximum safety with minimum weight, has been virtually doubled in the new E-Class sedan. The hood, front fenders, trunklid and front-end/rear-end modules are now made of aluminium. Mercedes says the new E-Class has been designed to pass the most stringent worldwide safety tests.

Newly developed, intelligent restraint systems which adapt to the current occupant and accident situation further optimise occupant safety. In addition to adaptive front airbags which deploy with lower force in less severe accidents and higher force in more serious collisions, the new E-Class is equipped with two-stage belt force limiters and automatic weight classification for the front passenger. In combination with additional crash sensors these systems provide occupant protection which is even more precise and adapted to the specific accident situation. Side airbags for the front seat occupants, large window airbags, high-performance belt tensioners, automatic child seat recognition and a rollover sensor are further components of the standard safety features.

While dual-zone automatic climate control is standard on the E-Class, a new four-zone THERMOTRONIC climate control system will be optional. The new 4-zone system has a microprocessor that individually determines and controls the temperature for the driver and front passenger, as well as the passengers on the outer rear seats.

New, optional multi-contour front seats are equipped with several air chambers which automatically inflate and deflate according to the driving position to offer the driver and front passenger the best possible lateral support and comfort. A similar system was first developed by Cadillac.

Among the latest technical innovations is an integral navigation computer with a colour display that permits SMS messages, e-mails and the online services of the Mercedes-Benz Portal to be displayed. And for the first time, the navigation system in the new E-Class can be controlled using the Linguatronic voice-activated control system.

The 2003 E-Class sedan will be offered in three trim levels: Classic, Elegance and Avantgarde.

"The new E-Class will be a worthy successor to a most important and successful model series," said Helmut Petri, head of production. "In addition to trailblazing technical innovations, the saloon particularly excels with its extraordinarily high quality and perceived value. New production processes and modern manufacturing methods have enabled us to achieve even greater body rigidity, further improvements in crash behaviour, outstanding acoustic comfort and typical Mercedes durability. We have invested approx. € 1 billion for the new E-Class at the Sindelfingen production plant alone."

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Greg Wilson is a Vancouver-based automotive journalist and editor of CanadianDriver