the plug-in hybrid in complete discretion

This plug-in hybrid grand tourer isolates us from the contingencies of the real world.

Faced with contemporary hustle and bustle, certain discreet and elegant presences reassure us. In the secrets of libraries, behind the severe and precious bindingsbooks are waiting to teach us. In the evening, on France Musicwe don’t interrupt the masterpieces. And Mercedes persists in producing comfortable business sedans.

This is evidenced by the immovable E-Class. If it no longer appears among the best-selling German cars – the generation W123 was number 1 in sales in West Germany in 1980! – the grand tourer assembled in Sindelfingen (Germany) cultivates its traditional strengths: presence, comfort, technologies.

Appearance conservatism

The current generation is no exception. The silhouette remains soft and three-body, the look retains its double bossage. A few styling elements allow us to recognize the current generation (W214), launched a year ago. For example the black inserts connecting the grille and headlights. Or the star-shaped light signature for the bow.

But this apparent conservatism actually hides a series of new developments. If the previous generation of the E-Class already offered a few hybrid versions in the catalog, the W214 now only offers mild hybridization or PHEV.

Our test E400e (not available today in France) adopts the M254 block, inaugurated on the C-Class three years ago: this 2-liter 4-cylinder must – with the help of an electric machine plug-in – to forget the V6s which until now reigned at the heart of the range. We will see on the mountainous roads of Austria what it is like.

XXL screen, amputated trunk

Let’s first enter the cabin to observe the second major technological leap. Before us is the impressive MBUX Superscreen. It is made up of three XXL screens hidden under a glass plate running from the driver to the passenger.

On the central tablet, the menus scroll quickly, the design is pleasing to the eye, but the menus are sometimes a little complex. The information displayed on the traditional digital instrumentation – with counters – is selected via controls on the steering wheel. You get a little lost the first time. The passenger screen goes dark from the driver’s seat if your sidekick watches – by chance – a test of Automobile Propre on YouTube.

Night falls early in December. Between dog and wolf or in the heart of darkness, the brightness automatically chosen by the Mercedes for these tablets is perfect: the screens are neither too bright (which would tire the eyes), nor too dark (which would make reading difficult) . Subtle, but appreciable.

Less subtle is the profusion of LEDs cutting up the lines of the dashboard. All of this can be configured as desired. But at night, their light reflects off the side windows. At an intersection, this can be mistaken for a vehicle in sight for a few tenths of a second.

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Above, on the sides or on the armchairs, the fittings are of first choice while avoiding fashionable boasts (black piano galore, orgy of topstitching, etc.). Only one or two poorer plastics can be found by the most devious customers in a foamy environment.

With almost 3 meters of wheelbase, rear passengers have plenty of knee room. Fortunately, on the other hand, their suitcases are not endowed with consciousness. Because their space in the trunk is limited.

As is tradition, it is a trunk with a wide opening. But the floor is very raised in the presence of batteries: the hold falls to 370 liters compared to more than 500 on the E-Class with mild hybridization.

Heavy but agile

A quick flick down on the gear selection switch to the right of the steering wheel and we are in motion. At low speed, the E-Class moves silently and without intervention from the thermal block (and even up to 140 km/h in EV mode).

Despite its length, the sedan can be maneuvered without major difficulty thanks to its rear-wheel steering and its smooth steering. The 360° camera is sharp, but the effect fisheye exaggerated complicates the interpretation of distances a little.

Let’s leave the streets of Innsbruck to reach the snow-covered peaks via the Kühtaisattel (2,017 m) and the Sölden resort, which opens the Alpine Ski World Cup every year. At these heights and on sometimes slippery surfaces, the traction offered by the all-wheel drive is not compromised, thanks in particular to the judicious interventions of the electronics.

The rear wheel steering (up to 4.5°) allows this heavy car to pivot with ease in curves. Only a poorly defined midpoint in the electrically assisted steering is unpleasantly surprising.

Drumsticks. Despite weighing more than 2.2 tonnes, the Mercedes stops efficiently and well in line. But the pedal seems excessively spongy. The E-Class pleasantly isolates you from the world, but the controls are therefore not top-notch.

Several driving modes are available, favoring economy or sportiness. By letting the electronics manage these concerns by default, the Mercedes makes a copy a little heavy, attributable in part to the climbing route: 6.8 l/100 km of unleaded + 17.3 kWh/100 km of electricity.

46% of the journey was made with the 4-cylinder asleep, despite the very cold – up to -7°C during our test – and winter tires (Continental Winter Contact TS860) which are not very favorable for efficiency. The ample capacity of the nickel-manganese-cobalt battery (25.4 kWh gross/19.5 kWh net) allows you to move away from the terminals.

Via the central screen, you can also play strategist with an e-Save mode or require the car to drive in electric mode. Consumption reaches 16 kWh/100 km on a rather descending section followed by a 30 km section of motorway. In this scenario, we exceed the 102 km of WLTP autonomy announced by Mercedes. But on the A12 motorway, the sedan averages around 24 kWh/100 km. So a range of around 70 km.

At any time, you can wake up the combustion engine by pressing the small “click” located at the end of the accelerator stroke. Like a serious interlocutor composing his response in his head before responding with precision, the 4-cylinder allows itself a short moment before intervening.

Wisely. Here, the 9G–TRONIC gearbox almost always selects the right gear from the wide range at its disposal and eliminates jerks. The most demanding customers will perhaps criticize the M254 block for a not-so-noble grunt when it is heavily loaded.

Furthermore, silence reigns on board, notably thanks to excellent insulation from air noise. Shocks are also admirably absorbed by the pneumatic damping (option), preventing body movements and grooves created by the cold. The Tyrolean peaks pass by in front of the large windshield. We are good…

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Crazy prices

Isolation has a price. The E-Class family starts at €63,150 on a 186 hp E200d. In PHEV, only the AMG E53 Hybrid 4MATIC version is currently offered here, with a 3-liter “in-line six” and 585 hp, starting at €113,150.

Our test plug-in hybrid E400e is not yet available from us. In Germany, it starts at €79,849. The 55 kW DC charger adds €595. The techno pack with pneumatic damping and rear wheel steering further increases the bill by €3,320.

This absence in France is undoubtedly to be attributed to its low potential audience. But is the usefulness of a library or of France Musique measured solely by the number of initiates?