2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB Review: Benchmark Gets Stronger

The baby S-Class is back in a new generation. Ladies and Gents here is the V214 or the long wheelbase Mercedes-Benz E-Class. 

It took Mercedes-Benz more than a year to ready the new E-Class for India and it’s finally here. And yes it’s back as a long-wheelbase version. And just like last time India is the only market in the world to get this particular right-hand-drive specification. The outgoing E-Class has been the undisputed bestseller. 

Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB Review: Design

​​So why does anyone buy an E-Class, especially here in India? They want this, they want the stately saloon, they want something that looks instantly recognizable as a Mercedes Benz. So, no problem there, right? Like the styling totally takes care of that, and yet it's kind of modern and new-looking. It looks like, yes, it's an update on the older car, because the face, the grille, and the lights, are typically Mercedes-Benz, but still very new. Nice two-tone alloy wheels, nice and pretty as well. There's a reason why I talk about that because the wheel size and everything else about this design is kind of smartly done. I'll explain why in a second, the other nice little touch is, of course, these really pop-out door handles. It's a nice touch because it's kind of cool and a little techy, and people like that. It also is elegant and adds to the aerodynamics. 

Now, let's talk about what I was saying, the proportion of this car. When they knew they were making this, unlike the last generation where we saw the advent of this long wheelbase segment, and of course the BMW has the 5 series too. With this, there was always this thing about, hey, we're gonna need the long wheelbase. So the designers from the word go, sort of baked that in. And so if you look at the proportion, it doesn't look stretched, it doesn't look exaggeratedly long. And then for the India spec, which is the only right-hand long wheelbase by the way, which was always the case even with the last one, there's also enhanced ground clearance. Again, it doesn't look like it's been bumped up, it doesn't look exaggerated. Very smartly done. It makes the car look just like the global model, it makes it look attractive and you don't feel like, oh, is there a change? Is there an adaptation just for India? But it is adapted, so good job done by the design team. The same thing applies to the rear as well. It's nice and elegant. It looks like an ample boot, and you've got this star motif in the taillights, which is, again, something that makes the car instantly recognisable. It also gives it a lot of depth, I like that. And then you've got this little red element in the middle, which gives the feeling of a continuous end-to-end to light though it isn't one. Now all this I’ve talked about in that review that I've showed you of the regular wheelbase car from Germany, but what's also been changed for India is in there. Now, it's nice that you have the remote operation for the boot, it electrically opens and closes. That's a nice touch. You've got a pretty big boot and then you also got under boot the actual spare vehicle. That was done again just for India to make sure that don’t have a wheel lying here and you also get the actual spare, which a lot of other markets don't get anymore.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB Review: Interior

What a lot of other markets do get is that 3D option for the virtual instrument cluster that adds depth. I really liked that in the car I drove in Germany. We also don’t get the augmented reality navigation graphics. You can see that story by heading here. And there’s the walkaround video that highlights all the tech on the car’s screens. You can watch that here.  

You do have the fab MBUX Super Screen layout for the first time in India and unlike other markets, it is standard for us. The E-Class also gets a banging 17-speaker Burmester sound system – which has the 4D option – meaning the front seats get inbuilt speakers in the backrest. So you feel the bass and the thump of your music tracks. You can adjust its intensity or turn it off of course. 

Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB Review: Rear Seat Comfort

The E-Class and now the BMW 5 Series get an extended wheelbase, primarily to enhance rear seat luxury. So I had to relent to being chauffeured around. 

Well, the dropdown armrest gives you a little bit of storage and it gives you the wireless charger. That's a nice thing to have. It would have been nicer to have also maybe some personal entertainment options back here. What you do get is a whole bunch of controls on the door, including the one that lets you put up and down the blinds on both sides and also control the, there you go, those screens for the split sun roof. Besides that, the thing that everybody loves is the fact that in this car you have the seats that can recline and you also have this really nice soft cushion, all typical Mercedes-Benz territory. And then when you use that button, there, you can manipulate the seat in front, assuming no one’s sitting on it and the whole chauffeur package, right, where you get just this tons of leg room can really collapse that seat all the way to the front and really stretch out. It's nice and comfortable for long drives, if you just generally want to sit like this, it all really works. You also have AC controls back here. It's like I said, not high on tech, but adequate enough and certainly for buyers in this class, Mercedes seems to have just stuck to things that matter.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB Review: Safety

Mercedes-Benz India sent the made-in-India E-Class to Germany to meet the company’s internal safety standards and road testing checks, and it is well specced. Eight airbags including a new central airbag mounted between the front seats, ADAS with active braking, blind spot assist, and more, 360 camera, sensors, ISOFIX, its all standard. But it does not get a head-up display. 

Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB Review: Performance

I have the E 200 right now as the E 220d and E 450 4MATIC are yet to roll out of the Pune plant. The surprising thing is that Mercedes has not brought either rear-wheel steering or an air suspension – even optional – on the E-Class. That would have really sealed the deal on that benchmark question.

When you do a sudden kick down that's the only time when you might find a little bit of hesitation, but otherwise, the 200 doesn't disappoint it won't feel sluggish or slow. That's good news, but you know what's better news is that the guys at Mercedes-Benz India listened to the feedback from their customers. So you get the super screen, which is very cool, and the other nice thing is that when it comes to steering and handling, you can see that there is a sharp improvement over the previous car. You don't feel that sense of really the huge amount of length that this car might otherwise have. And so, yeah, actually, it is fun to drive. It's not sporty, but it's also not boring.

I cannot wait to drive the diesel and having tasted the E 450 on the regular wheelbase car in Germany – am keen to get hold of that engine again too!

This time around, with this generation, you also get the six-cylinder. That is excellent news because, you know, there's always this assumption that, hey, the chauffeur-driven owner doesn't really care about that. So give them, you know, a decent petrol and a decent diesel and they're happy. Well, this time they're going to be happier because you also get the 450. So three variants and all, and they all come fairly fully loaded, of course.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class LWB Review: Verdict

Deciding between this and the new 5 Series may come down to your preference, but the E-Class is better specced and more lux. The 5 Series is more driver-focused but then now Mercedes has upped the ante with the E 450, though at a much higher price. And the long wheelbase is all about luxury and comfort at the end of the day, isn’t it? There are those who may still like the other rivals, especially since they are all cheaper. But it still looks like Mercedes-Benz has done enough to lock this thing down. The new E-Class is the benchmark still; and will likely emerge as the bestseller again. After all that chauffeur package is a big win for many sahabs and memsahabs. 

Photography by Anand Malepu & Aadil Khan