Mercedes-Benz has revealed its new 2024 E-Class Estate, boasting a sportier design akin to the now defunct CLS Shooting Brake.
The new-generation E-Class wagon won’t be coming to Australia, but it takes the new design language and technology suite from the related E-Class Sedan and blends it with a more rakish estate rear for enhanced practicality.
Compared to the previous generation, the series 214 E-Class Estate has grown in width by 28mm, opening up more elbow room for rear passengers. Likewise the wheelbase has grown to 2961mm (+22mm), which brings more knee room and leg room for second-row occupants.
The boot measures a handy 615L-1830L for the mild-hybrid versions, while plug-in hybrid versions quote 460L-1675L.
Ahead of the B-pillars, the E-Class Estate picks up the same advancements as its sedan sibling, bringing the absolute latest in what Mercedes-Benz has to offer in cabin technology.
The MBUX Superscreen setup incorporates digital instruments ahead of the driver, a single pane of glass across much of the dashboard covering a large central touchscreen, and an optional touchscreen ahead of the front passenger.
Available features include MBUX Augmented Reality for the satellite navigation system, which superimposes graphics and traffic information on live images from the vehicle’s front-facing camera.
You can even option a selfie and video camera so the driver can dial into video conferences on Webex and Zoom calls when on the road.
The E-Class Estate will launch in Europe with a choice of mild-hybrid and plug-in drivetrains, with additional powertrain variants to be added to the line-up in time.
Power in the E200 Estate comes from a 150kW/320Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, while the E220d scores a 145kW/440Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. Both of these units are augmented by a 48V mild-hybrid system which can offer a boost of 17kW and 205Nm – up from 15kW before.
To keep the diesel engine up to date with the latest emissions regulations, it features a number of exhaust gas aftertreatment technologies including a close-coupled NOx storage catalytic converter, a DPF, and two SCR catalytic converters.
Fuel consumption for the E200 Estate is rated at 7.6-6.7L/100km on the WLTP cycle, while the E220d drops that to 5.7-5.0L/100km. CO2 emissions are 173-152g/km for the petrol and 149-131g/km for the diesel.
Mercedes-Benz has also confirmed it will add electrified six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines to the E-Class Estate range in future.
Also available at launch will be the E300e Estate plug-in hybrid, which combines the 150kW/320Nm turbo petrol engine from the E200 with a 95kW/440Nm electric motor – for system outputs of 230kW and 550Nm.
There’s a big 25.4kWh battery pack which Mercedes-Benz says is from its fourth-generation family of batteries. According to WLTP specifications, the E300e Estate can drive 95-113km on a single charge, based on a combined power consumption rate of 21.4-19.1kWh/100km.
Mercedes-Benz also quotes combined fuel consumption of just 0.9-0.6L per 100km on the combined cycle; while the E300e Estate is capable of sprinting from 0-100 in 6.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 227km/h.
The E300e’s battery is also compatible with DC fast charging, with 0-100 per cent possible in “around 30 minutes” using the optional 55kW direct current rate. It’s also compatible with 11kW AC charging.
Like the mild-hybrid range, Mercedes-Benz has confirmed it will add more plug-in hybrid versions of the E-Class in future, including a mix of petrol and diesel engines.
Mercedes-Benz Australia has confirmed we won’t be seeing the new E-Class Estate in local showrooms, though the new E-Class Sedan is set to arrive Down Under during the first quarter of 2024.
It’s unclear what the local range will look like when the new-gen E-Class lands, though the existing non-AMG range consists of E200 and E300e Sedan models, in addition to AMG E53 and E63 variants.
The German marque’s local division has moved away from its Estate wagons to focus on SUVs of late, confirming the demise of the once-popular C-Class Estate line-up and also axing the CLA and CLS Shooting Brakes from sale – though the latter is now retired globally.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest.
MORE: 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan unveiled
MORE: Everything Mercedes-Benz E-Class
