Mercedes have revealed their first ever 4x4 estate in their impressive history. The E-Class All-Terrain is set to lock horns with current market leaders the Volvo V90 Cross Country & Audi A6 Allroad. The E-Class All Terrain could well be the car to upset the balance and arrives with a strong set of features with styling borrowed from the incredibly popular E Class Estate model.
The E Class All Terrain will be arriving mid 2017 but we'll get a proper glimpse of the vehicle at next weeks Paris Motor Show - and you can read about the other vehicles debuting at motoring's top showcase here.
Taking a look at the engines firstly and we know for definite there is a 2.0-litre diesel with 400Nm of torque producing around 194bhp. The top speed of this engine is around 144mph and the 0-62mph time sits at a healthy 8 seconds. For those looking at economy side of the scale - CO2 emissions are at 137g/km while you'll get around 55.4mpg. There will be a nine-speed gearbox as standard and while details remain sketchy it looks like the E Class All Terrain will be getting a E 350d at some point following release although we probably won't know any more until after the Paris Motor Show at least.
One of the E-Class All Terrain's major functions is to be able to offer competent SUV & off-road performance. This is to be done by the introduction of a Dynamic Select system and five driving modes each offering their own benefits depending on the environmental circumstances. One of these modes is 'All Terrain' which has been specifically targeted at more trying conditions and will be aided by the addition of a 'Off-road' Digital Display.
The design of the All Terrain is obviously very similar to the standard E Class Estate model, but on a much more pronounced & higher stance. The vehicle has actually been raised around 29mm thanks to bulkier sides and larger 19"inch wheels. The changes to the styling remain fairly subtle but we know the All Terrain benefits from a changed bumper, new side skirts & more striking grille design.
We will have to wait for further details on the vehicles interior & any standard technology on offer however we already know that much of it will mirror the standard E Class already on the market. There will be heated seats, 19-inch wheels as standard, ambient interior lights and plenty more.
Could the All-Terrain be the next big thing on the Estate SUV scenes? Only time will tell but the initial signs and prestigous Mercedes badge suggest it can certainly challenge with the most competent rivals.
