Test Car Specifications
Model tested: Mercedes-Benz E 220 d Estate
Price: starts at £37,935 on-the-road
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel
Transmission: nine-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Body style: five-door, five-seat estate
CO2 emissions: 109g/km
Combined economy: 67.3mpg
Top speed: 146mph
0-62mph: 7.7 seconds
Power: 194hp at 3,800rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,600- to 2,800rpm
Luggage capacity: 640- to 1,820 litres
What's this?
It's the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate, the newest and biggest estate car in the executive class, putting the rather large boots of the Audi A6 Avant, BMW 5 Series Touring and Volvo V90 to shame with a minimum 640-litre capacity. That expands to 1,820 litres with the split seat backs folded flat (at the touch of a button) or to 670 litres by making the rear seat back more upright (though that reduces comfort back there). There's more oddment space in the interior than before (shared with the new W213 saloon, including the optional 'widescreen' digital dashboard), the luggage cover retracts automatically and self-levelling air suspension is fitted to the rear axle as standard. An electromechanical tailgate is also standard. Owners of previous E-Class Estates may be wondering if the useful extra rear-facing seats in the boot will be available and though Mercedes UK has yet to confirm it, we expect them to be announced later in the year.
Here we're driving the entry-level E 220 d Estate, powered by the new Mercedes 2.0-litre turbodiesel with maximum outputs of 194hp and 400Nm of torque. There are no plans to offer a 150hp E 200 d Estate for now, probably because the wagon weighs some 100kg more than the saloon and is also more likely to be full of people and their stuff. Buyers can upgrade to the V6-engined E 350 d or the new Mercedes-AMG E 43 4Matic Estate.
Prices start at £37,935 on-the-road for the E 220 d SE Estate, which represents a £2,000 premium over the equivalent E-Class saloon. The SE version comes as standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, DAB radio, heated front seats, keyless start, LED ambient interior lighting, chrome roof bars, Parking Pilot including Parktronic and a reversing camera, LED headlights, satnav and a nine-speed automatic transmission. The E 220 d AMG Line Estate costs £40,430 and adds 19-inch rims and a wealth of other aesthetic upgrades inside and out.
How does it drive?
As is often the case with these international launches, the test cars were specified to the hilt with expensive optional extras, including full air suspension, triple glazing in the windows and more, so we can't say we have a good handle on how the standard model will feel on the road. For the record, the 100kg weight saving may blunt the E 220 d's performance on paper, but it doesn't feel particularly slow. It is, however, best-suited to lazy cruising and comfortable long distance driving. The body control is pretty taut unless you really push the limits (and why would you in a car such as this?) and there's plenty of mechanical grip. The steering is pleasantly weighted, if not over-endowed with feedback, and the brakes feel strong. Engine, wind and road noises are all very well contained, even deep into three figures, and the nine-speed automatic transmission is silky smooth.
Verdict
Job done for Mercedes, really. The new E-Class Estate isn't noticeably different to drive than the accomplished saloon, is considerably better looking than its predecessor and is bigger inside than that car and all of its executive rivals.
Exterior Design
