I have a slight issue reviewing Mercedes’ new E200. Despite spending more than four hours with the car, I don’t think I managed to even scratch the surface (which is a good thing, literally) of its technological brilliance.
When we gathered for a presentation at Dubai Autodrome, one expected the Mercedes spokespersons to harp on luxury, performance and driving pleasure. Instead, it was completely dedicated to a myriad of safety features that the new E-Class comes with.
Mercedes always make good looking, performance-oriented, powerful cars, but this is brawn plus brains on four wheels. The emphasis is clearly on technological innovations that are able to save your life in case something untoward happens on the road. They like to call the car ‘Masterpiece of Intelligence’, and that’s probably an apt description.
One such feature is Drive Pilot. Mercedes did not trust us to experience this feature first-hand, instead opting to fly in expert drivers from Germany for this demonstration. It was a terrifying moment for the accompanying journalists in the car when Matthias, our man at the wheel, first drove at 70kmh straight into Frank, and then an inflated moving car.
Several things happen seconds before the moment of impact. You can feel the safety belt tighten around you, moving you back into the seat. The car starts emitting ‘Pre-Safe Sound’ from the sound system – thus conditioning the passengers’ hearing by triggering a reflex in the ears, reducing the risk of hearing damage.
Thankfully, Frank was just a dummy. All Matthias could do was swerve the car violently. The Evasive Steering Assist took over, calculated the steering torque precisely, straightened the car and came to a stop, while continuously sensing other danger in the form of oncoming cars or the presence of any other human being in the vicinity. It can detect as many as 10,000 types of human shapes.
In parallel traffic, the E200 braked within safe distance from the danger. Obviously, the process wasn’t smooth, but it was highly effective.
Also, when there is imminent lateral damage, another feature, ‘Impulse Slide’, takes over and starts pushing the passengers as far away from the danger zone as possible before the crash.
The rear radar can detect vehicles and their speed from up to 80m and if it senses they are too close, it deploys the hazard light and then prepares the car for impact with tightened seat belts, Pre-Safe Sound and automatic full brakes.
All the new E-Class cars come equipped with more than 100 million lines of programming. To put that in perspective, the Boeing 787 has 14 million lines of programming. This is artificial intelligence at its best – always there to aasist, without actually taking over the complete driving process.
Another feature worth talking about is the Active Parking Assist and remote parking. The E200 can identify parking space and from then on, it is hands-free mode for the driver. The car automatically parks itself in the tightest of spaces. You can even get down, and park it through a Mercedes app downloaded on your smart phone.
Before you get into the car, the most notable difference from its predecessors is the brand new Multi-Beam LED headlight, equipped with 84 LEDs as against 24 used in previous version. The new headlight not only gives the car aggressive looks, but these produce the right kind of light under any given condition. You can adjust the lights for driving in city, in adverse weather or in dark rural roads. Another new feature is the rear ‘stardust effect’ lights, which gives a distinct look to the car.
The car is now 4.3 inches longer than the previous E200. You can especially feel that difference in the back, which has more room now. The shape of the car has been designed to maximise aero efficiency, which is now down to 0.24 coefficient of drag.
The new E200 has a longer wheelbase – an additional 6.5 inches between the two axles – and features larger 19-inch wheels.
Inside, the car features brand new and luxurious interiors. There are two high-resolution displays beneath a shared glass panel which form the wide-screen cockpit. Each screen is 12.3 inches wide. One of them is the instrument cluster, which can be viewed in three different styles, while the other is the infotainment system, which can be accessed fully through touch controls on the comfortable steering.
With the upgraded Linguatronic voice control system, the car can understand and react to complete sentences (making it easier to call the office while driving).
The newly designed memory seats, inspired by a bespoke Saville Row-tailored jacket, come with leather trims and are very comfortable. They can be completely adjusted through touch buttons on the door. The interiors have brushed aluminum and open-pore wood finish, for a contemporary feel.
I did manage to get a feel of the famed engine for a brief while, but was rather restricted by the speed limits on Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. The four-cylinder petrol engine handles the commands well, and has a much improved fuel consumption of 5.9 liters per 100 km.
This definitely looks like another sure-shot winner from Mercedes.
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