The chances of seeing the debut of the all-new Mercedes-Benz E-Class before the end of the year seem very slim at the moment considering that the festive season is only a few weeks away. In addition, the Stuttgart-based company continues to test its mid-sized machines on public roads, which leads us to believe that development is not completely finished. We have a new spy video with the new E-Class, which was recently caught on camera in German traffic.
This black prototype was spied on walkoARTvideos on YouTube and distant footage shows what we believe to be a nearly finished E-Class. There’s still some camouflage covering the front and rear fascias – similar to the previous test cars we saw – but overall, more work on the front design appears to have been done. The vehicle looks stylish even in its unfinished form.
24 Photo
From previous spy photos, we know the interior looks good too. There’s a large center screen that dominates the dashboard, very similar to what you get on the EQE. Word on the street is that the more affordable trims will get an 11.9-inch display from the C-Class, while optionally available a 12.9-inch OLED display from the S-Class. Apart from that, the cabin of the new E-Class remains disguised.
The E-style exterior will hide some of the electrification upgrades under the skin. Mild-hybrid technology is expected to become standard across the range and several hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants will be joining the portfolio gradually. The AMG models also won’t miss out on electrification and even range-toppers are expected to get some form of electrified support. Whether the V8 will last for one last generation is unknown at this time, but seeing how the Mercedes-AMG S 63 E has an electrified V8 under its hood, it’s likely that the E 63 will suffer a similar fate.
Coming back to the question of when the new E-Class will debut, we believe it will happen at some point during the first half of next year. If this is the case, we’ll likely see it arrive on the market as a 2024 model.
