The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class celebrated its premier at the 2016 North American International Auto Show on Monday with claimed groundbreaking assistance systems designed to make it the most intelligent sedan in the world. In theory, they lower driving stress and the risk of accidents when operating or is that occupying what has been the longstanding mainstay of the Benz lineup.
What autonomous technology does to the art and thrill of driving a vehicle with distinctive characteristics is the subject of a long, ongoing AutoInformed debate: Will driving fun still exist? Will the skill of dicing a late-apex turn just before you get hard on the accelerator to smoothly exit matter? Will my grand-kids even know what I am talking about? Alas, I suspect that they will experience incomprehension over my tales of the the fumes of scorched clutch discs, fading brakes, of over-heated squealing rubber, and the red mist, if they even look up from their I-phones at my funeral.
The new E-Class – the tenth generation – marks the another step toward autonomous cars with a “Drive Pilot” driver assistance system. It can automatically follow a vehicle traveling in front at speeds of up to 210 km/h, and at up to 130 km/h without clear lane markings. If an indicator is activated for at least two seconds, the system can also steer the car into the neighboring lane, having first identified the lane is clear.
Other intelligent assistance systems are Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function, Evasive Steering Assist and Remote Parking Pilot, which for the first time enables remote parking using a smartphone app.
Earlier in January, the new E-Class received approval for autonomous test driving in the U.S. state of Nevada. It is the first production car licensed for on-road autonomous testing. It is also the first production car to exchange information with other vehicles and accordingly equipped infrastructure. Threats such as broken-down vehicles or surface ice can therefore be identified earlier.
The interior of the E-Class has two high-definition 12.3-inch displays, which visually merge to create a widescreen cockpit. The design can be adapted to personal preferences with three different styles – one example of the many individualization options offered by the new E-Class. It is also the first car equipped with touch-sensitive Touch Controls in the steering wheel, enabling control of the infotainment system via finger-swipe movements and ensuring the driver’s hands stay on the wheel.
Initial production will offer are one four-cylinder petrol engine with 135 kW (184 hp) and an all-new four-cylinder diesel engine with 143 kW (195 hp). In the E 220 d, the new diesel engine achieves a NEDC combined consumption of just 3.9 liters per 100 kilometers, which equates to CO2 emissions of 102 grams per kilometer. Further models will include the E 350 e with Plug-in hybrid technology. With a system output of 210 kW (286 hp), it combines sports-car performance with compact-car fuel consumption.
