The 2020 Mercedes E-Class facelift comes with cosmetic changes on the outside, updated interiors but more importantly, a new plug-in hybrid variant. Its coming to India by end of 2020.
Mercedes Benz was supposed to debut the E-Class facelift at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. However, with the Geneva Motor Show been cancelled due to Coronavirus, Mercedes has debuted the updated sedan outside the event. The new 2020 Mercedes Benz E-Class facelift comes with an updated exterior design, an updated infotainment system but more importantly, a new plug-in hybrid powertrain. The Mercedes E-Class facelift should make it to India in the second half of 2020.
On the exterior, the E-Class facelift gets new headlamps that lose out on the twin-brow LED DRLs that was a signature of the E-Class. Instead, there’s just one LED-brow, over lining the lamp cluster. The entire headlamp unit is also more rounded than before. There are new bumpers as well and an updated grille as well. While the car remains more or less identical in profile, there are new LED tail lamps at the rear which look similar to the ones on newer Mercedes SUVs and an updated rear bumper as well.
Also new to this facelift are the new wheels and the bonnet bulge. The latter is reserved for the AMG Line and All-Terrain variants. As for the wheels, Mercedes claims that its new aero wheels can reduce fuel consumption. On the inside, the dashboard layout remains more or less identical. Lower trims get two 10.25-inch displays while dual 12.3-inch displays are available on better-equipped models.
There’s also a new steering wheel and the MBUX infotainment system gets an update that includes Linguatronic voice control and something Mercedes calls Augmented Reality. In terms of features, the facelifted E-Class gets gadgets such as Distronic adaptive cruise control, steering assist, brake assist, parking assist, Stop and Go Assist and also Active Blind Spot Assist.
But now let’s come to the more important bit. The Mercedes E-Class facelift gets four engine options under the hood – a 2.0-litre four-cylinder M 254 petrol, a 3.0-litre six-cylinder M 256 petrol, a 2.0-litre four-cylinder OM 656 diesel, and a 3.0-litre six-cylinder OM 256 diesel. The diesel engines features a total of three catalytic converters and two-stage catalytic reduction with AdBlue. The M 254 is the petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain that features a 48-volt mild-hybrid system which adds 20PS and 180Nm of torque for a total power output of 292PS. Mercedes is yet to disclose specs for each engine.
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The Mercedes-AMG E 53 4MATIC+ is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre petrol engine which gets an EQ boost hybrid system. The car thus gets 21PS and 250Nm more to the engine’s 435PS and 520Nm of torque. Although these new engines are turbocharged, they have an electronic compressor to reduce turbo lag. That’s how these engines make their torque from as low as 1800 rpm all the way up to 5,800rpm.
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As of yet, Mercedes has only showcased the sedan, estate and all-terrain models and says that the cabriolet, coupe and China-only long wheelbase models will follow soon. In India, the E-Class is Mercedes’ most popular model yet and it should arrive to our shores by the end of this year. We are however not expecting the plug-in hybrid variants to come to India. Expect a price hike over the 2019 model which retails between Rs 59.08 lakh to Rs 1.50 crore (ex-showroom Delhi).
