With freshened looks at the front and two engines on offer at launch, the revised 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet celebrate 30 years since the cabriolet was first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Fast forward to 2021, and Mercedes-Benz has just launched a comprehensive facelift for its E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet. Upgrades include a healthy facelift, with the front sections, in particular, being given a fresh look; a good dose of new technology, including the next generation of driving assistance systems and the MBUX infotainment system; and a range of electrified, more efficient, petrol and diesel engines.
“We have always made automotive dreams come true, and the E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet facelift take this to the next level. We have sharpened the brand identity and we are continuing to drive forward the revision of our entire E-Class family successively,” says Johannes Fritz, Co-CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa and Executive Director for Mercedes-Benz Cars. “The emotive appeal of these two dream cars has been further reinforced by the model upgrade. The E-Class Cabriolet with the classic fabric top offers spaciousness and comfort on long journeys for up to four people, while the new E-Class Coupé combines the beauty and classic virtues of a grand tourer with state-of-the-art technology.”
South African customers will initially have two models available at launch. The E200 offers a 2,0-litre four-cylinder engine that delivers 145 kW and 320 Nm of torque. This results in a 0-100 time of 7,5 seconds. The E300 has the same engine, which is tweaked to deliver 190 kW and 370 Nm, with a 0-100 time of 6,4 seconds.
The design modifications, particularly to the front sections of the E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet, reveal flatter headlamps that feature all-LED technology. The ‘A-shape’ design of the new diamond radiator grille is standard on all versions, but South African models will feature the AMG line as standard for all Coupé and Cabriolet models.
The E-Class is fitted with an entirely new, intelligent steering wheel as part of the facelift. This is available as a leather steering wheel and in a super sports variant. It is also equipped with the latest generation of the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) multimedia system, which comes standard with two large 10,25-inch/26 cm high-resolution screens, arranged side by side for a sublime widescreen look. Two 12,3 inch/31,2 cm screens are optionally available.
The hands-off detection feature of the steering wheel means if the system detects that the driver does not have their hands on the steering wheel for a certain time, a warning cascade is started, which finally activates Emergency Brake Assist if the driver continues to be inactive.
As standard, the E-Class comes with Active Brake Assist, which uses autonomous braking to prevent a collision or reduce its severity. The system is also able to brake for stationary vehicles and crossing pedestrians at typical city speeds and even to prevent collisions.
In conjunction with the Mercedes me app, URBAN GUARD Vehicle Protection enables all-round monitoring of the parked vehicle. URBAN GUARD comprises an anti-theft alarm system, tow-away protection with visual and audible warning in the case of a detected change in position, an alarm siren, interior monitoring (triggers in the case of movements in the interior) as well as a preinstallation for theft and parking collision detection.
In the case of the latter, the vehicle sensors register when the parked and locked vehicle is bumped or towed, or when someone attempts to break into the vehicle. If the service is active, the driver receives detailed information via the Mercedes me App. By means of push notification, he finds out, for example, how severe and in which area of the vehicle the parking damage is. As soon as the vehicle is restarted, this information is also shown once on the media display.
The actual AMG versions – the E 53 4MATIC+ – m stand out from their non-AMG counterparts with a characteristic grille and a host of exterior details.
Under the bonnet, the electrified 3,0-litre engine with twin turbo-charging via an exhaust gas turbo-charger and an electric additional compressor generates an output of 320 kW and produces a peak torque of 520 Nm. This results in a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 4,4 and 4,6 seconds respectively, with top speed governed to 250 km/h (or 270 km/h, if the AMG Driver’s Package is selected).
“Our new Mercedes-AMG E 53 4MATIC+ models also offer a perfect synthesis of performance, elegance and comfort as a Coupé and Cabriolet. For lifestyle-oriented customer groups with discerning requirements in terms of performance and efficiency, both two-door models from Affalterbach are the perfect offerings,” says Fritz.
The design of the front view is completely new and reinforces the AMG family affiliation. The key feature is the AMG-specific radiator grille with twelve vertical louvres. The A-shaped design of the front, which becomes broader towards the bottom, and the flatter, sharper-cut all-LED headlamps create an especially powerful impression, with the similarity to the AMG GT sports car family evident.
Viewed from the side, the new 19-inch light-alloy wheels in the aerodynamically optimised 5-twin-spoke design are standard but as an option 20-inch light-alloy wheels in a 5-twin-spoke design are available.
The engine is coupled with the AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G transmission and features all-wheel drive, which combines optimal traction for dynamic driving fun with a high level of driving safety in all conditions: in the dry, in the wet or on a slippery surface.
The E-Class Coupé models at a glance:
| E 200 | E 300 | ||
| Transmission | automatic | ||
| Engine | 4/in-line | 4/in-line | |
| Displacement | cc | 1991 | 1991 |
| Output | kW | 145 | 190 |
| at | rpm | 5500-6100 | 5800-6100 |
| Peak torque | Nm | 320 | 370 |
| at | rpm | 1650-4000 | 1800-4000 |
| Fuel consumption, combined[1] | l/100 km | 6.6-7.0 | 6.6-7.1 |
| CO2 emissions1, combined | g/km | 151-161 | 151-161 |
| Acceleration 0-100 km/h | s | 7.5 | 6.4 |
| Top speed | km/h | 237 | 250 |
| Retail Price | R1 036 000 | R1 131 000 |
The E-Class Cabriolet at a glance:
| E 200 | E 300 | ||
| Transmission | automatic | ||
| Engine | 4/in-line | 4/in-line | |
| Displacement | cc | 1991 | 1991 |
| Output | kW | 145 | 190 |
| at | rpm | 5500-6100 | 5800-6100 |
| Peak torque | Nm | 320 | 370 |
| at | rpm | 1650-4000 | 1800-4000 |
| Fuel consumption, combined1 | l/100 km | 6.8-7.2 | 6.9-7.4 |
| CO2 emissions1, combined | g/km | 155-165 | 158-168 |
| Acceleration 0-100 km/h | s | 7.8 | 6.6 |
| Top speed | km/h | 234 | 250 |
| Retail Price | R1 164 000 | R1 268 000 |
The Mercedes-AMG E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet at a glance:
| Mercedes-AMG E 53 4MATIC+ Coupé | Mercedes-AMG E 53 4MATIC+ Cabriolet | |
| Transmission | AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G | AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G |
| Engine | 3.0-litre 6-cylinder in-line engine with exhaust gas turbocharger and electric additional compressor | 3.0-litre 6-cylinder in-line engine with exhaust gas turbocharger and electric additional compressor |
| Displacement | 2999 cc | 2999 cc |
| Output | 320 kW at 6100 rpm | 320 kW at 6100 rpm |
| Add. output with EQ Boost | 16 kW | 16 kW |
| Peak torque | 520 Nm at 1800 – 5800 rpm | 520 Nm at 1800 – 5800 rpm |
| Add. torque with EQ Boost | 250 Nm | 250 Nm |
| Drive | AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive with fully variable torque distribution | AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive with fully variable torque distribution |
| Fuel consumption, combined | 8.9-8.6 l/100 km* | 9.2-8.8 l/100 km* |
| Combined CO2 emissions | 204-198 g/km | 209-202 g/km |
| Acceleration 0-100 km/h | 4.4 s | 4.6 s |
| Top speed | 250 km/h** | 250 km/h** |
| Retail Price | R1 618 000 | R1 756 000 |
