The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class, launched by Zawawi Trading Co. L.L.C. the Authorized General Distributor of Mercedes-Benz Cars in the Sultanate of Oman, is the pacemaker when it comes to safety, comfort and environmental compatibility in its market segment.

With its unique combination of driver assistance systems, this saloon further consolidates the leading position of Mercedes-Benz in the luxury class. Features include a drowsiness detection system, Adaptive Highbeam Assist and the proximity control system, which is capable of performing automatic emergency braking when there is acute danger of a collision.

Mercedes-Benz has improved the already exemplary long-distance comfort of the E-Class even further in the new saloon, principally through the use of intelligent bodyshell technology with up to 30 percent greater rigidity, further improved seats and a newly developed suspension whose shock absorbers automatically adjust to the current driving situation. The optional air suspension now works in combination with an electronic damping system.

The outstanding safety and comfort of the E-Class are matched by its environmental compatibility and economy: the four- and six-cylinder engines are direct-injection units, and consume up to 23 percent less fuel than before.

Mercedes-Benz equips the BlueEFFICIENCY models E 200 CGI and E 250 CGI that will arrive later this year with the newly developed four-cylinder direct petrol injection engine with a displacement of 1.8 litres, turbocharging and variable intake and exhaust camshafts. The E 200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY (184 hp) is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission and the ECO start/stop function as standard, and consumes only 6.8 litres of premium petrol per 100 kilometres (combined NEDC consumption, provisional figure). This equates to 159 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

In the E 250 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY (204 hp), which has a five-speed automatic transmission as standard, maximum torque is now 310 newton metres, which represents an increase of more than 26 percent over the previous V6-engine. At the same time the NEDC fuel consumption is reduced by over 20 percent to 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres, equating to 174 grams of CO2 per kilometre (provisional figures).

As before, the E 300 (231hp), E 350 (272 hp) and the top-of-the-line E 500 (388 hp) are included in the range of engine variants in the new E-Class. For the ultimate in performance, the E 63 AMG from Mercedes-AMG develops 525 hp. Mercedes-Benz equips the V6 and V8-models as standard with a seven-speed automatic transmission, steering wheel selector lever and shift paddles.

For more than 50 years, the saloons in the E-Class and their predecessors have been acknowledged as trendsetters in the safety field. The new saloon continues this tradition with an unrivalled combination of the very latest assistance and protection system whose concept and development are based on what actually happens during accidents.

These technologies make the E-Class an “intelligent partner” able to see, feel, react reflexively in critical situations and if necessary act independently to prevent accidents or mitigate their consequences. With this concept, the new Mercedes model not only protects its own occupants, but also contributes decisively to the greater safety of other road users.

The new E-Class is the first car in the world to be equipped with headlamps, which adapt to the traffic situation and respond automatically to avoid dazzling other drivers. The optional Adaptive Highbeam Assist uses a camera on the windscreen to recognize oncoming traffic and vehicles moving ahead and to control the headlamps so that their beams do not reach the other vehicle. This achieves the best possible road illumination in a given situation. The range of the dipped headlamp beams can be extended from 65 to as much as 300 metres. If the road ahead is clear, the system performs a gentle transition to high beam.

Mercedes-Benz offers this new system in a lighting package that includes bi-xenon headlamps, the Intelligent Light System and LED daytime driving lights.

The Lane Tracking package for the new E-Class includes Blind Spot Assist familiar from the S-Class, and as a new development, Lane Keeping Assist which seeks to prevent the vehicle from leaving the road unintentionally. When the system recognizes that the car is drifting from its lane, the driver is prompted to take countersteering action by brief but unmistakable vibrations of the steering wheel.