First Drive: The all-new 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe
Bold new style pairs with the latest technology.
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Luxury meets technology: An elegant interior with the latest tech.
The interior’s luxury aesthetic includes not just comfortable seating with beautiful leather trims and wood accents, but a striking screen that extends across the dashboard. It combines an optional 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a standard 12.3-inch high resolution infotainment screen as one long surface with the ability to customize what you see and where you see it. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto offer seamless smartphone integration. There’s also navigation and available mbrace Concierge Service to help do everything from locating nearby restaurants to making reservations and sending directions right to the vehicle.
That’s a lot of information and it could be distracting, but it’s not in the E-Class Coupe. The ability to arrange the screens to suits your liking makes sure nothing you want to see is hidden in the menu system. You also have a choice of steering-wheel buttons, dashboard buttons, or a touchpad with controller in the center console for navigating the screen. No matter your personal preference, there are intuitive, easily reached controls available for driver and passenger.
Power for the E-Class Coupe comes from a 3.0-liter V6 engine with 329 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. It will take you from 0-60 in 5.5 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph. The engine is paired to a new nine-speed automatic transmission that shifts quickly and smoothly to provide power the instant you press the gas pedal. This is a sporty Mercedes combining its luxurious interior styling with a responsive and aggressive ride.
Customize that ride with a choice of comfort, eco, sport, sport+, and individual drive modes. Each alters the throttle response, start/stop function, and shift points to match your desired driving style. Choose the optional air body control to further enhance the experience with a multi-chamber air suspension. This not only makes the ride smoother, but improves handling and reduces body roll. It’s particularly noticeable on rougher road surfaces, so your pothole-laden drive to work is less jarring.
It may be Sporty, but this is still a Mercedes-Benz, so it’s never harsh. Power comes without undue engine or exhaust noise. Open it up on the highway and this car moves, but it never sounds like it’s working hard. The cabin is, at all times, a refuge from what’s beyond the windows. Unless, of course, you choose to open those windows and the standard panoramic sunroof.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe also features a wide range of standard and available safety features. Notably, active brake assist, which warns drivers of a pending collision and applies emergency braking if necessary, is a standard feature. Additional available features include active parking assist, adaptive high beams, active distance assist, active steering assist, active lane change assist, and active speed limit assist.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe offers all the luxury and style that are synonymous with the brand combined with spirited performance. The latest safety features and a comprehensive infotainment system enhance that package ensuring you’re comfortable, connected, and safe throughout your travels.
Choose from the Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe at a starting price of $58,900 or the E400 4MATIC, which is the all-wheel drive variant, at $61,400. Expect to see the new E-Class Coupe arriving at dealers this summer.
Nicole Wakelin is a contributor to BestRide.com and CarGurus.com; she can be reached on Twitter @NicoleWakelin.
