‘Made-in-India’ Mercedes-Benz E-Class launched at Rs 56.15 lakh

Mercedes-Benz has launched the long-wheelbase (LWB) version of the E-Class in India at a starting price of Rs 56.15 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai) and India is the only country so far that will be getting the right-hand drive version of the LWB E-Class.

Apart from the brand name, the biggest selling point of the car is the class-leading rear legroom all thanks to the extended wheelbase and 2017 E-Class outshines all its rivals from BMW, Jaguar, Audi and Volvo in this respect.

Apart from that, the feature list includes full-LED headlamps, air suspension (diesel only), all-four electronically operated seats, 12.3-inch infotainment system which is mated to a 13-speaker sound system by Burmester, panoramic sunroof, touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel and 64-colour ambient lighting.

In India, the car comes in two variants, E 200 (petrol) and E 350 d (diesel). While the 2.0-litre, four-pot petrol engine produces 184PS of power and 300Nm of torque, the 3.0-litre diesel V6 cranks out 258PS of power and 620Nm of torque. The 0-100kmph time for the diesel stands at 6.6 seconds and for the petrol at 8.5 seconds, which is 0.6 seconds slower than the outgoing model. Both the engines come mated with the 9G-Tronic nine-speed auto box and the power is sent to the rear wheels only.

The list of main rivals includes the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series (which will soon be replaced by an all-new model), Volvo S90 and the, the production of which was recently localised.