The new front fascia is an interesting amalgamation of the C- and S-class’ front ends, with an upright grille framed by two-piece headlamps, a sculpted front bumper and LED indicators. The sides of the new E incorporate a C-class-inspired swage line, while the rear taillights wrap half-way around the fenders.

Autobild reports that the new E-class will be unveiled in March, so expect to get all the details from Geneva next year. Sales will likely begin in Europe next summer, with the U.S. model arriving shortly thereafter.

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Although, we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see either the headlights or taillights of the model, as both still remain heavily masked. Nevertheless, I think I speak for the majority of E-Class owners when I say the development of the new sedan seems to be coming along splendidly.

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Mercedes told us that it will have a tauter, edgier appearance inspired by the new C-class, including a clamshell-style bonnet, prominent swage lines along the flanks and a high boot line. Lightweight construction techniques will be used to help ensure the new E-class does not gain much weight. Mercedes will use a full steel structure with greater use of tailored blanks to keep the kilograms in check.

Mercedes is finally planning to use direct injection, with the adoption of the 3.5-litre V6 already offered in the CLS350 GDI. It will also introduce a new range of V8s. Based on the existing 4.5 and 5.5-litre units, they receive direct injection and other tweaks to boost efficiency and economy.

Crucially, the E-class will be available as a hybrid by 2010, and all the diesel models will be fitted with the BlueTec technology already on sale in the US. Mercedes has set targets of 47mpg and 150g/km for the most eco-friendly E-class.

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Right-hand drive versions are expected at some point in the future, but it is unknown when. “Bluetec” describes Mercedes diesel engines that utilize it’s AdBlue reductant and DeNOX particulate filter. The engines get better gas mileage and produce fewer emissions. Though E-Class Bluetec’s will join the European market soon, and the GL-, M-, and R-Class Bluetec’s will also join the US market soon, similarly-equipped C-Class, won’t appear in any markets until 2009. The C250 is claimed to get 57.7 mpg, while a C300 Bluetec hybrid gets a claimed 61.4 mpg.

Many people are curious as to why Mercedes is choosing to sell their hybrids in the U.S. before branching out into the great sale waters of the UK. A Mercedes UK spokesman said “The focus has been on the big prize which is converting America.” If those mileage claims are proved in real-world use, then Mercedes conversion efforts should get a huge push when the C arrives.

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This year, the Mercedes-Benz E-, Mercedes-Benz S- and Mercedes-Benz SL-Classes were recipients of the J.D. Power and Associates Award for highest ranked initial quality. These Mercedes models ranked highest for initial quality in their competitive segments, Midsize Premium Car, Large Premium Car (in a tie) and Premium Sporty Car, respectively.

“We are delighted to have J.D. Power and Associates recognize Mercedes-Benz with these awards,” said Mercedes-Benz USA President and CEO Ernst Lieb. “This recognition is a result of the intense efforts we have made to return product quality perception and customer satisfaction to the levels we have historically enjoyed. In every aspect of our business, our focus is on meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations. At Mercedes-Benz it’s about delivering the customer’s dream,” he added.

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, N.J., is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. In 2006, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 248,080 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving 13 consecutive years of sales growth.

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The performance package will be available for the E 63 AMG Saloon from March 2007. Using various higher-performance components, the AMG performance package for the E 63 AMG puts the accent on dynamic handling and performance. The result is a breathtaking driving experience for ambitious sports car enthusiasts who want to have the option of using their AMG performance model on closed-circuit racetracks.

Customers benefit from the extensive motorsport know-how gained by Mercedes-AMG GmbH over the course of four decades. The E 63 performance package is priced at 7,140 euros (incl. 19% VAT). The AMG performance studio in Affalterbach can take the customisation even further, building distinctive, or even unique, vehicles on the basis of individual customer specifications.

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BMW’s 5-series Touring presses all the buttons and ticks all the boxes in our eyes, but its looks divide opinion, and many consumers will more likely look to its German rival, the E-class Estate reviewed here. The E-class Estate range is a diverse one, starting at as little as £29,000, rising to £66,000 for the E55 AMG, the fastest estate car in production at the time of writing.

Four (E220 CDI) and five-cylinder (E270 CDI) diesel variants are also available, and the derv range is now topped by a 272bhp V6 (E350). The E320 CDI packs an inline six featuring the latest generation high-pressure common rail injection system.

Given that the BMW that was tested was in Sport guise, the E-class Estate pictured should not be compared too closely. In Elegance trim, the E-class is restrained and quite traditional in the use of materials, if not the technology and design itself. Externally, the E-class is a striking car, but could never be described as pretty. The saloon has some elegance, but the Estate is just imposing.

Many buyers in the target market will have already decided that the E-class is for them before they even take a test drive, but people should get behind the large steering wheel to see how the Merc compares with the supposedly driver-orientated BMW 5-series. First off, they will find the steering surprisingly heavy in the E-class, but not actually endowed with a lot of feel, despite modestly profiled tyres.

The brake pedal initially has an unusual, inconsistent feel, but the stoppers themselves are flawless, hauling the big Estate down from high speed time and again without much protest, which bodes well for towing heavy loads.

It does not quite engage as much as the 5-series, but it is certainly as capable, and just as importantly to its buyers, as safe. People were a little disappointed though to find that the car’s ride was a little compromised to this end, though it could not be described as uncomfortable.

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Some of us had wondered if AMG’s new engine, up in horsepower but down in torque, could deliver the heavy boot to the butt of the supercharged sedan. Would it be able to run with the 10-cylinder BMW M5 and Audi S6 sport sedans? This driver discovered the answer, yes, in a 2007 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG sedan, appropriately on a stretch of unlimited German autobahn.

Underscored by the musical bellow of its big-displacement, race-tech-rich V8, the car rearranged time and distance in exhilarating, entertaining and sometimes frightening ways, shrunk the gaps between here and there to just a few degrees of throttle travel, and obliterated any doubts that the E63 would be as aggressively powerful as the much loved and admired E55.

In only a single respect did it disappoint: Because the sedan achieved the governed top speed of 155 mph so quickly and with such ease, we felt cheated knowing there was so much more top-end power in reserve. Europeans will have the option of ordering their E63s without a limiter; Americans will not. By the way, for those who still hanker for force-fed power, the combination of supercharged 5.5-liter engine and five-speed transmission continues in the SL55 AMG and G55 AMG for the remainder of this model year.

Available as a sedan or wagon, the E63 is expected to retail for about the same price as current E55s, around $83,000, despite the fair amount of new and revised components being introduced across the E-Class line, which in the U.S. consists of the E320 Bluetec sedan, E350 sedan and seven-passenger wagon, E550 sedan and the E63 sedan and wagon.

In fact, perhaps the only shortcoming in the entire vehicle is the seven-speed’s lack of a throttle blip when it downshifts. It’s possible to accomplish the matching of revs manually by the age-old method of whacking the gas pedal as the tranny makes the move between gears, but we expect that such an advanced gearbox should be able to do it for you.

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Worldwide, the E-Class family comprises 16 sedans and 13 wagons, and though just eight of them will reach the U.S., even this limited lineup boasts broad appeal. The E350, available as a sedan or wagon with optional 4Matic all-wheel drive, is powered by the 268-horsepower V6 introduced in the 2006 E-Class. The E550, offered just as a sedan but also with a 4Matic option, is fitted with the 382-hp V8 that debuted in the most recent S-Class.

Top performer is the E63 AMG sedan, which is stuffed with a 507-hp, normally aspirated V8. Appropriately, the heavily endowed E63 AMG lays down its big slab of torque through the rear wheels only. The fourth engine is a very innovative and ultra-clean-burning turbodiesel V6 in the E320 Bluetec sedan. Its 210-hp oil burner features special catalysts that allow it to be certified for sale in all 50 states.

The brief for 2007’s model called for a sportier and safer E-Class with no compromise in cruising comfort or cost (price increases over the 2006 models are expected to be minimal), and the corps of big foreheads and sharp pencils at Mercedes engineering responded with several newly introduced systems, some of which were first developed for the S-Class flagship but are now standard on every U.S.-bound E-Class.

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With barely noticeable exterior changes, you have to look hard to spot the differences between this E-Class and last year’s version. Up front all models get a new grille, bumper, air dam and headlights while the rear end gets a similar upgrade to its lights and bumper. According to John Shipley, product specialist for the E-Class, the changes add a little more of the bold styling that attracts customers in this segment. “We’re looking to steal a few more customers from brands like BMW and Infiniti.”

Although not distinct models like the entry-level C-Class, the 2007 E-Class will offer both Sport and Luxury styles. Consider the Luxury model the base car while the no-cost change to the Sport model adds features like dual exhaust pipes, additional exterior trim and exclusive interior colors. All models are upgraded with a new steering wheel, shift lever and standard features like PreSafe, a sunroof and the Harman Kardon Logic7 audio system.

Although the base E350 remains unchanged under the hood, the E500 becomes the E550 with the installation of Mercedes’ latest 5.5-liter V8. First introduced in the S-Class sedan, the engine develops 382 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. In the E550 it’s combined with a seven-speed automatic transmission, and Mercedes says the sedan can accelerate from zero to 60 in an estimated 5.4 seconds. There’s also a quicker steering ratio for more responsive handling.

If the standard models still don’t deliver enough performance for you, consider the new 2007 E63 AMG. It does away with the supercharger on last year’s E55, relying instead on the larger displacement of its 6.3-liter V8. It cranks out 507 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. And unlike the E55, which was stuck with a five-speed automatic, the E63 is able to use the same seven-speed automatic as the E550. This keeps the mileage respectable while allowing it to go from zero to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds.

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