A prototype for a restyled Mercedes-Benz E-Class was spotted testing again as a sedan.
The current E-Class came for the 2017 model year and received a mid-cycle update for 2021. In Mercedes tradition, the redesigned E-Class should arrive in 2023 as a 2024 model.
The design looks more dynamic, because the roof line looks a little more sloping at the back than on the current model. With rumors that both the CLS-Class and the GT 4-door coupe aren’t getting a replacement, perhaps designers were free to make the E-Class look a bit sportier.
The platform is the updated version of Mercedes’ MRA rear-wheel drive architecture that debuted in the 2021 S-Class and has since appeared under the 2022 C-Class. The updated platform benefits from weight savings, primarily through increased use of aluminum over steel. This was made possible by advanced joining technologies, including aluminium-to-steel welding.
The platform was not designed for battery-electric powertrains, although electrified powertrains were to be used across the range, including AMG’s eventual E 63. The E 63 could potentially be fitted with the same V-8-based hybrid system that debuted in the 2023 GT 63S E Performance 4-Door Coupe. The system can deliver a maximum of 843 hp and 1,033 lb-ft of torque. However, there are also rumors that the next E 63 could be downsized to a 4-cylinder, just like the latest C 63, which combines a 2.0-litre turbo-4 with a sophisticated hybrid system.
Given that Mercedes just launched the EQE electric sedan in 2023 and committed to an all-electric offering by 2030, this will likely be the last E-Class to feature internal combustion engines.
A redesigned E-class wagon is also coming, in both regular and all-terrain versions. However, don’t look for another generation of the two-door E-Class variants. Mercedes is preparing a new CLE-Class that will replace both the coupe and convertible models of the C-Class and E-Class. It should debut around the same time as the new E-Class.
Stay tuned as development continues.
