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By
EWAN KENNEDY
19 October 2009
Isn't this a gorgeous
looking coupe? Mercedes' days of conservative styling have long
gone, and the prestigious German company is now frequently in the
vanguard of new automotive shapes.
With the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and particularly the coupe
variant that's the subject of this week’s review, the lines
don’t really show to their best advantage in photographs. To
appreciate the interplay of sharp edges and clever angles may we
suggest you take a trip to your local Mercedes dealer. Even if the
car is out of your price range at this stage of your career, the
Mercedes guys and gals are happy to show you their latest machine.
The sleek lines of the 2010 Mercedes E-Class aren’t just there
to look good, though they certainly work brilliantly in that
regard, they also permit the big coupe to slip through the air
more efficiently. This reduces the amount of fuel consumed and
lowers the emissions from the engine. And this new Mercedes-Benz
is quite simply the most aerodynamic mass-production car you can
buy, with a co-efficient of drag of just 0.24.
The interior styling is exceptionally good, with an impressive
combination of elegance and sportiness. The instrument layout is
typically Mercedes in its round-dial legibility and logical
layout. High quality materials are offered in quite a few
different formats. Check with your dealer for full details.
Though the E-Class coupe is technically a four-seater, headroom in
the back is somewhat restricted. However, when you remember it's a
coupe and not a sedan that lack of vertical space can be forgiven.
Access to the back seat, by way of Mercedes’ ‘Easy Entry’
system, is relatively easy and the kids will slip in and out with
a minimum of fuss. This Mercedes could be used as a family machine
by buyers who prefer to restrict the number of cars they own.
On the road the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe rides well and the
sleek body provides near silence on smooth roads such as
motorways. On winding country roads with surfaces that have seen
better days the car retains a surprising amount of comfort while
still giving good road grip. Passengers will love this car just as
much as demanding drivers. There's also an AMG Sports package for
the extra-demanding driver.
The engine in our test car for the past week is the latest
development of Mercedes' 5.5-litre V8. In the E500 coupe it
produces 285 kW of power, and 530 Nm from 2800 to 4800 rpm. Note
that wide spread of peak torque, which results in the engine being
at or near its best virtually all the time in normal driving. Thus
complementing the aforementioned clean running and low fuel
consumption and, of course, adding to driving pleasure.
This Mercedes' engine’s official fuel figure is 11.0 litres per
hundred kilometres, a most impressive for a large V8 that can run
to 100 km/h from rest in just 5.4 seconds.
On test we found the big Merc coupe typically used nine to ten
litres per hundred kilometres during motorway and easy country
driving. This rises to 11 to 13 litres around town if you drive
with a bit of a sporting bent – as you do! These figures justify
all the hard work that has gone into body aerodynamics. Of course
the latest in engine and automatic transmission technology play a
major part as well.
The E500 V8's exhaust note is simply superb and is guaranteed to
bring a smile to the faces of all keen drivers. Even at low revs
on small throttle openings it sounds the way V8 drivers like it to
sound. And when you do get floor that pedal on the right the
engine’s hard-edged note becomes positively vocal in a
no-nonsense manner that showcases its genuine sporting
characteristics.
AT
A GLANCE
MODEL
RANGE
E250 CGI 1.8-litre two-door coupe: $94,500 (automatic)
E250 CDI 2.1-litre diesel two-door coupe: $97,500 (automatic)
E350 3.5-litre two-door coupe: $127,500 (automatic)
E500 5.5-litre two-door coupe: $174,500 (automatic)
SPECIFICATIONS
(Mercedes-Benz E500 5.5-litre two-door coupe)
ENGINE:
Capacity:
5.461 litres
Configuration: V8
Head Design: Four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 10.7:1
Bore/Stroke: 98.0 x 90.5 mm
Maximum Power: 285 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 530 Nm @ 2800-4800 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven
Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Seven-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 2.47:1
DIMENSIONS,
WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4898 mm
Wheelbase: 2760 mm
Width: 1786 mm
Height: 1397 mm
Turning Circle: 10.95 metres
Kerb Mass: 1695 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 66 litres
Towing Ability: Not supplied
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Three-link, anti-dive, coil springs, gas-filled
shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Independent, multi-link, anti-squat, anti-dive,
coil springs, gas-filled shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100
km/h Acceleration: 5.4 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type:
Petrol 95RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 11.0 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATTINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 8.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/unlimited km
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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