Mercedes-Benz E-Class : POWER OF EXECUTIVE THINKING

The nation's business elite usually take quite a shine to the Mercedes E-Class. June Neary decides whether it floats her boatâ€¦

The E-Class is an institution at Mercedes Benz, an executive car for the discerning customer that's not quite as over-blown as the S-Class luxury saloon but up a good few notches up the plush scale from the C-Class compact executive. Its arch rivals are the similarly Germanic BMW 5 Series and Audi A6 as well as Jaguar's elegant XF, the Lexus GS and a few others. The E-Class has a definite place in the world and in the market and that leaves Mercedes free to concentrate on getting it absolutely right. So much about the E-Class is to do with prestige. It isn't extrovert in the way that a sports car or a big 4x4 might be. It's actually quite low key to look at but those noble lines and the discreet cabin with its high quality materials are there to say something about its owner. The people who drive the E Class, they say, are mature, professional and discerning. They know a quality motorcar when they see one and they have the financial means to install one on their driveway. At least, that's the image Mercedes likes to groom for the car. I probably don't fit the bill as the typical E-Class customer but I know what I like and on the signs for this executive express are promising.

There's a load of room inside the E-Class. I know that there's reclining seats and more space than most semi-detached houses in the back of the long-wheelbase S-Class but most people don't really need all that. For car journey purposes, the space in the back in the E is all you could want. With three rear seat occupants, things can get a little cosier but it's still no real inconvenience. There are lovely materials used on the door panels and the dash and while the controls might seem be a little complex initially, there's a lot to control and the essentials can be grasped in reasonably short order. The amount of technology shoehorned into the E-Class really is remarkable and the most eye-opening features are aimed at improving the car's safety credentials. Mercedes likens the systems to an `intelligent partner' who can detect and react to danger, which sounds like an automated back seat driver chiming in every time they think you're going to fast or too close to the car in front. The reality is that the systems are designed to be as unobtrusive as possible until stronger intervention is absolutely necessary. Adaptive High Beam Assist uses a camera on the windscreen to detect approaching vehicles when you're driving at night to modify the headlamps and give an optimum field of vision at all times. Lane Keeping assist vibrates the steering wheel when it senses that the car is drifting out of its lane. Blind Spot Assist warns you when there's a car in your blind spot and Attention Assist measures 70 parameters to detect if you're falling asleep at the wheel. Then there's Brake Assist Plus that automatically applies optimum braking pressure to help you stop in time during emergency braking.

A lot about the character of your E-Class depends on the engine that you've chosen to have plumbed in up front. There's a wide range of units available, from four-cylinder diesels to mighty V8 petrol engines. I tried one of the most eye-catching options, not because it goes like stink or costs the earth but because it's a solid all-rounder that's affordable and likely to be a popular choice with customers. The E250 CDI is a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with two turbochargers performing an equivalent role to that handful of extra chillies in your Chicken Tikka Masala. It has 204bhp but the real eye-opener is its 500Nm of torque. That's a lot and it's available at just 1,600rpm giving the E250 CDI a major surge of acceleration to be instigated with the just a tickle of the throttle pedal. Rather than turning the E Class into a sports car (that job is left to some of the more exotic variants further up the range), the E250 CDI's engine invites you to waft around the place. It's very reassuring to know that there's this reserve of power there should you need it to overtake dawdlers or make it through that gap in the traffic. The effect is relaxing and it's enhanced by the creamy automatic gearbox and the comfortable driving position. The E-Class isn't small and it can be tough to thread through busy streets but you always feel shielded from the outside world and that's a mark of a good executive car.

You didn't expect an E-Class to be cheap did you? It isn't but the mainstream engine options and the more modest specification level do make it relatively affordable and it's competitive with the other mainstream executive cars. The E250 CDI's other major benefit is that it returns economy of around 50mpg on the combined cycle and 159g/km CO2 emissions, which will make it a big hit with those choosing their next company car. Although many of the more advanced safety features are confined to the options list, the E-Class does come with nine airbags as standard and an active bonnet that raises up in the event of a collision to help protect pedestrians. The basic SE model also comes with 16" alloy wheels, a leather multi-function steering wheel, an eight speaker stereo with Bluetooth compatibility, a large central display screen to marshal the car's various functions and the Advanced Parking Guidance system.

There'd be hell to pay at Mercedes-Benz if the E-Class was anything other than a leader in the executive car field and the people behind it can rest easy. The car impresses on numerous levels with the comfort, technology, performance and efficiency of the E250 CDI model coming in for particular praise.