A racing heart is triggered as standard the first time you set eyes on the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. That first encounter offers a flavor of the familiar. The “four-eyed” look has been retained, yet it is immediately apparent that things changed. The front end boasts more assurance, but all with an entirely engaging allure. The Coupé exudes power, its taut lines and broad, upright radiator grill lending it an imposingly masculine presence.
With the front wings the new Coupé flexes its muscles with a highly effective élan. The curves of the wings stretch over the wheels with a purposeful tightness. The rear wheel arches, where the car’s sinewy form is emphasized even further by a striking character line.
The lines of the rear wings are a nod to the 220 S Coupé from the 50s. This was one of the very first coupes to be built in the post-war period and, together with the “Ponton” sedan, heralded a new dawn at the Stuttgart-based carmaker.
Above the shoulderline an exceptional lightness of touch steals the show aided by the slim sculptured roof pillars, which flow over the entire body. It pays further homage to its heritage through the continuous glass band provided by its fully retractable side windows. No window frames or B-pillar to disturb the view inside, allowing the exterior and interior to melt into a single entity.
Glance through the broad open space and it quickly becomes clear how attentive the designers have been to the stylistic harmony between the exterior and interior. The planted breadth of the body’s stance is continued inside the car by the horizontally accentuated lines of the dashboard, reinforcing the agreeable and generous feeling of space. Indeed, the larger body of the new model allows it to offer all on board more space and therefore greater levels of comfort than comparable predecessors. For instance, the driver and front passenger can now enjoy some five centimeters (two inches) of extra room to the sides.
The Coupé has not only grown in size, however. It has also matured. Although it still possesses a character very much of its own, its design also displays undeniable attributes of the new E-Class sedan.
The Coupé takes the brace of new 4-cylinder engines with direct injection, which deliver a boost to output and torque but use as much as 17 percent less fuel than the comparable units of the predecessor. The new E 250 CDI BlueEfficiency Coupé achieves fuel consumption of 5.3 liters per 100 kilometers (44 mpg) in the European driving cycle, making it one of the most economical cars in its class. Moreover, it produces just 139 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
The E-Class Coupé also sets the pace in terms of safety. Indeed, technology such as the standard-fitted fatigue recognition system ATTENTION ASSIST and preventive occupant protection system PRE-SAFE® — as well as the optional Adaptive Highbeam Assist and traffic sign recognition — allow the new two-door Mercedes-Benz to comfortably secure pole position in this market segment.