Mercedes' first off-road estate
The Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain is a 5-door 5-seater all-wheel drive estate, manufactured since 2017 on the basis of the Mercedes E-Class.
The long-standing duel between the full-size off-road estates of Audi and Volvo has escalated with the introduction of the new Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain. First unveiled at the 2017 Paris Motor Show, Mercedes' new off-road estate has pushed aside the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo V90 Cross Country. According to Mercedes-Benz: “Design, comfort, safety and driving pleasure - the new E-Class Estate is supremely impressive in every discipline”.
The first generation
It has been produced from 2017 to the present, while its restyling occurred in 2020. Based on the regular E-Class estate, the new E-Class All-Terrain features new bumpers, black plastic on the wheel arches and sills, underbody protection, a radiator grille with massive ‘perforated’ bars (in the style of the brand’s crossover SUVs). Moreover, if the “crossover” bars in the radiator grille are made of plastic, then the bumper and door sill inserts are real metal. However, the interior of the new model is only slightly different from the usual E-class. The volume of the trunk is 670-1,820 liters. But most importantly, the new E-Class All Terrain has 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive and air-adjustable suspension as standard. Four-wheel drive distributes torque between the wheels in a ratio of 45:55. The entry-level estate comes with 19-inch wheels (20-inch wheels are optional).
Electronic imitation of interwheel locks and a purely mechanical Pre-Lock disc blocking in the interwheel differential, familiar from the GLC and GLC Coupe SUVS, help to distribute torque in the event of wheel slip. The ground clearance has been increased by 29 mm compared to the regular estate (5 mm were added thanks to the suspension settings, the remaining 14 mm are due to the increased profile of the base 19-inch tires). The car now has an All-Terrain off-road mode (like the Mercedes GLE). In All-Terrain mode, the center display provides visualization of the suspension operation, roll and pitch angles plus the azimuth of movement. When activated, the air suspension is capable of lifting the body by 20 mm. By using a separate button, you can increase the clearance by another 15 mm. Thus, in total, in the highest position, the ground clearance is approximately 156 mm, and the minimum value is 121 mm. For comparison, the ground clearance of the Audi A6 allroad is 180 mm, while the Volvo V90 Cross Country offers 210 mm. But the Mercedes off-road estate is able to overcome a 30 cm deep ford.
And the new Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain is able to park itself. You can get out, activate a special application on your smartphone and stand quietly nearby, the car will do everything by itself: it turns the wheel, brakes, changes gears. And even if it will take the estate a couple tries, it will fit into the narrow gap between the cars. And then the car can be driven out of the parking space in the same way.
The 2017/2018 cross-estate is equipped exclusively with turbocharged diesel engines, which are paired with a 9-speed 9G-Tronic automatic transmission. Modifications:
- The E 220 d with a 2-liter inline 4-cylinder engine with 194 hp.
- The E 350 d with a 3-liter V6 engine with 249 hp.
- The E 400 d with a 3-liter inline 6-cylinder engine with 340 hp.
2020 restyling
Just like the new E-Class Sedan, the restyled 2020 Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain estate has a redesigned front end, a new steering wheel and an advanced MBUX touchscreen media system. According to the official report, it has become a little more ‘off-road’, acquiring an increased 136/160 mm (minimum/maximum) ground clearance and modern functions, including a voice assistant, a fully digital dashboard, augmented reality function for navigation, an emergency braking system and the latest auxiliary systems with additional functions. There are several versions of the cross-estate, including petrol ones. All of them come with a 9-speed automatic transmission, 4Matic all-wheel drive and air suspension. The shock absorber on each wheel adapts to the current situation and can be operated in Comfort or Sport mode. All engines are turbocharged. Modifications:
- The Mercedes E 200 with a 2-liter petrol inline 4-cylinder engine with 197 hp.
- The Mercedes E 450 with a 3-liter petrol in-line 6-cylinder engine with 367 hp.
- The Mercedes E 220 d with a 2-liter engine diesel engine with 194 hp.
- The Mercedes E 400 d with a 3-liter diesel engine with 330 hp.
The Luxury version includes a front panel with two 12.3-inch screens, high-quality leatherette seat upholstery, dual-zone climate control, electric and heated front seats, a rear-view camera, navigator, heated steering wheel and LED headlights. The equipment includes a Burmester surround sound system and multi-colored LED interior lighting.
The 2021/2022 Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain has everything you need for a comfortable and safe driving. Active Emergency Braking will always help you create the right pressure in the braking system. Thanks to the intersection monitoring system, you can avoid collisions with vehicles moving in the transverse direction. The PRE-SAFE system, immediately before a possible accident, activates the safety systems and takes actions to reduce the risk of injury to the driver and passenger. Active Distance Keeping Assist DISTRONIC assists the driver, for example, on long motorway journeys, by automatically adjusting the distance to the vehicle in front. Parking assistance with PARKTRONIC automatically guides the car into a free parking space and, at speeds up to 35 km/h, also helps you find a suitable parking space. The MULTIBEAM LED headlights react to the traffic situation with separately controlled LEDs. The augmented reality function helps you navigate difficult traffic situations by overlaying graphic transport and navigation instructions on the real image.
