SETTING the debonair status, Mercedes-Benz delivers sophistication, elegance, comfort, power, and pleasure in the 2021 E 350 sedan. Harnessing the character and charisma of the brand’s legacy, it elevates the senses, immersing the driver in a cabin extraordinaire.
It also sends chills down spines when pedal hits the metal, all while feeling like you are gliding on air, and doing it in style. The 2021 Mercedes Benz E 350 sedan is the one to watch. Nay, it demands to be watched.
On our first approach of this car, we were incredibly pleased by the sheer beauty, almighty presence, and eminence of class. We spent a couple of minutes just taking the E 350, and its strikingly subtle and unpretentious look, in.
There’s a a hint of sporty thanks to the AMG-Line exterior styling, and gorgeous 20-inch AMG multi-spoke alloy wheels. Front and rear ends are to perfection, with a stunning chequered grille, and the classic Mercedes-Benz icon in its centre.
Staunch, defined lines across the bonnet, hinting of a growl in what lays beneath. The rear is finished off with smooth contours and, a softly raised lip across the boot. Mercedes-Benz have done an amazing job hiding the many cameras included across the E 350 too.
To the passing eye, no would even notice one. Even the side cameras are cleverly built-in to the exterior mirrors, and you’ll only see them if you look from underneath. Majestic in its stance, the E 350 certainly holds room, measuring 1.8m wide, 4.9m long, and 1.4m tall.
Exquisite body colours to make the E 350 your own include Polar White Non-Metallic, Obsidian Black Metallic, Nautic Blue Metallic, Graphite Grey Metallic, Mojave Silver Metallic, High-Tech Silver Metallic, and Selenite Grey Metallic.
If the exterior causes your jaw to drop, be prepared for a grander version upon setting foot inside the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 350 sedan. If car cabins were hotels on wheels, then the interior of this elegant beast would have to be the Executive Suite.
It’s classy, sexy, and spacious. It has some of the most comfortable leather seats on the market, a leather wrapped steering wheel and upholstery, and open-pore black ash wood trim, stylishly accentuated throughout the cabin.
Thanks to the Vision Package inclusion, a luxurious panoramic sunroof fills light into the cabin for front and rear passengers. The package also includes a heads-up display, and a Burmester 13-speaker surround sound speaker capable of a whopping 590w output.
Quite frankly, the acoustics of this sound system may top your home theatre system, and thanks to the solid cabin insulation, it holds the treble and bass to peak performance. It’s a symphony to the ear, making the Vision package a must have.
The cabin is also lined with beautiful LED ambient lighting, to set the mood for your cruise. There are 64 colours, and it really makes the difference, especially at night when the colours really pop.
We toyed with the colours and found Ocean Blue the best for leisurely cruising, and Fire Red for spirited drives. The centre console also houses your phone for wireless charging, or through a USB-C port.
The phone compartment also closes seamlessly once your phone is tucked away to keep your cabin nice and tidy. There are also a couple USB-C ports in the back for rear seat passengers.
The driver has a unique intelligent driver seat adjustment system, where you can input your height into the MBUX multimedia system, and it will adjust the seat to correct height, length, and posture. It was spot on getting our seat to the exact seating position.
If this doesn’t suit, you can electronically adjust the seating, with the controls conveniently located on the door panel. Speaking of the MBUX system, there is a seamless line of sight across the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and the 10.25-inch digital display.
The only downside to this screen we found was the fact Apple CarPlay only uses about two-thirds of the space, and it would have looked marvellous leveraging the full breadth of the screen.
There is so much the MBUX is capable of, ranging from your favourite radio stations, wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, and navigation, along with the comfort, safety, and service settings.
You don’t need to hover your hand up to the giant screen the whole time either, as there is touchpad located on the centre console, so you can rest your arm. While we’re talking tech, Mercedes-Benz have included an array of cutting-edge tech into the E 350.
On top of what already has been mentioned, a highlight is the 360-degree camera, which is incredibly useful when switching lanes and parking. Through augmented reality, you are able to see a bird’s eye view of the vehicle and its surroundings.
It even includes the distance from the kerb and nearby cars. Camera vision is crystal clear. There is also a self-parking feature which we trialled in an empty car park. Although it does function, we were reluctant to handover the parking to the computer on an ongoing basis.
Some things should just remain in the hands of the driver, and parking is one of them. From a safety perspective, nine airbags, ABS, ASR, ESP, and adaptive braking are notable inclusions.
For children in the rear, there are three top tether child seat anchor points tidily placed behind the headrests, and the three ISOFIX anchor points at the base of the rear seats. It’s no surprise the Mercedes-Benz E 350 has a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.
The driving experience in the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 350 sedan is divine, and a motor enthusiast’s dream. Considering the size of the vehicle, you’ll be surprised how effortlessly the car handles windy roads; like a hot knife through butter.
The highlight for us though is the ‘air body control’ air suspension system, making even the bumpiest roads feel like you’re gliding on air. On top of that, it regulates the height automatically, so it always maintains self-level and ground clearance.
You can lower or raise the car up to 20mm manually too, which gave us piece of mind when approaching a steeper than average driveway lip. The E 350 exceeds expectations under acceleration and will put a grin on your face too.
It’s powered by a 4-cyclinder, 2.0-litre petrol engine, coupled with Mercedes-Benz EQ-Boost technology. It can generate up to 220kW of power and 400Nm of torque, mated to a 9G-TRONIC transmission, delivered through the rear wheels.
EQ-Boost makes a massive difference to the launch potential of the car and provides almost instant responsiveness when you put the foot down, allowing you to reach 100km/h in 5.9 seconds.
On the flipside, fuel efficiency for combined urban/extra-urban usage is reported as 7.7-litres/100km, which is pretty good. The Mercedes-Benz E 350 can be sporty and thrilling, yet calm and efficient, as the driver chooses.
We’ve got to say, Mercedes-Benz have presented an amazing car in the E 350 sedan, ticking the boxes for those who want it all. We didn’t actually want to give it back, and would happily spend endless hours in it. That says a lot.
The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 350 sedan hits the road at $145,539 drive away (more if you add the optional extras), and comes with a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty. You can build and price a new E 350 sedan on the Mercedes-Benz Australia website.
Our test vehicle was supplied by Mercedes-Benz Australia. To find out more about the 2021 Mecedes-Benz E 350 sedan, contact your local Mercedes-Benz dealer.
