Earlier this year, Mercedes India launched the updated E Class in the country. Equipped with a comprehensively revised front end and a plethora of new features, the latest facelift for the E Class is definitely not your mundane nip and tuck job. Rather, it is a fine example of how a manufacturer should go about rejuvenating a car mid-life.
We were quick to drive the lethal E63 AMG (Click for review) and the frugal E250 CDI(Click for review) and these variants of the refreshed E left us mighty impressed. Recently, we also drove the E200 petrol variant to find out if the entry level E Class variant is as polished as the diesel variant and at least a fraction of as fun as the very tasty AMG model. We spent an entire day with the E200, driving it through the maddeningly crowded streets of Pune and on winding roads of Lavasa. Here is a report on the new E200, which should answer all your questions about the entry level model in the E Class line up.
First things first, what’s the E200’s big draw against the superb E250 CDI diesel?
The new Mercedes E200, at INR 41.50 Lakhs (ex showroom), is a whopping INR 4 lakhs cheaper than the E250 CDI AvantGarde and full INR 8.5 Lakhs cheaper than the Launch Edition we drove earlier. While we do agree that petrol prices in our country are already high enough to make even the proverbial ‘well heeled’ wince with displeasure, it needs to be taken into account that not all of us have the kind of usage that would warrant a diesel powered car. Also, with diesel prices being de-regulated, it is only a matter of time before the stickier fuel becomes almost as pricey as the unleaded liquid, and hence, the fuel-cost advantage might soon vanish in thin air. Hence, for someone whose car-usage doesn’t justify spending extra on the diesel model, the equally loaded and sufficiently potent petrol powered variant makes a lot of sense!
Quite convincing, that! Do you say that the cheaper petrol variant looks the same as the diesel one?
Well, almost. The car boasts of similar twin-slat front grille, same DRL equipped headlamp units, and similarly shaped twin exhaust pipes at the rear. However, the E200 misses out on the blacked-out roof and sports a different set of alloys, which we ended up liking more than the ones on the E250 CDI Launch Edition. Apart from these two differences, there is little to differentiate between the two variants and only those who have an eye for detail would be able to tell apart a petrol variant from the top-of-the-line diesel model.
We are so in love with the new-shape headlamps of the E Class
And the interiors?
As good as the ones on the diesel variant! The interior of the Mercedes E200 left us impressed with the high quality of materials used, plethora of features and the way it seems to cocoon you within its rich confines! We’ve never been a fan of wood inserts on the dashboard but the ones on the E200 look much more ‘relevant’ on the E Class than the aluminum ones on the diesel variant we drove earlier.
The interiors are highly practical and come with several cubby holes and spaces.
Does it lack on the equipment-front?
Hardly! Rather, the E200 is pretty well endowed in this aspect and comes loaded with all the gizmos you would expect in a mid sized German limo. Equipment on offer includes Electric seat and steering adjust, Harmon Kardon in car entertainment, bluetooth connectivity, parking sensors, eight airbags, sunroof, and three-zone climate control.
Gizmos that the car misses out include reverse camera, sat-nav and the E200 comes with a smaller screen for the COMAND system.
Wrong data on 3rd page…..its not 246 BHP