Mercedes had earlier announced that they would be launching 12 new products in the year 2016. The year began with the launch of the GLE coupe and the company is now reportedly planning the launch of a new variant of the E-class sedan this month. But the E-class we will be talking about is the Long Wheel Base or LWB version of the premium sedan.
The new E-class was unveiled earlier this year at the NAIAS motor show at Detroit in January. The sedan, which is based on the MRA platform that also underpins the C-class, features the design language that is currently seen on the S-class and the C-class. The company had earlier announced at the motor show that they would be offering the E-class in six body styles including the Maybach as well as the LWB variant with the former being developed only for selected markets.
The company has now confirmed that this variant will be arriving at China’s shores soon and images of the China bound LWB variant have now surfaced online. The E300 L, with the initial L standing for LWB, gets a stretched wheelbase which is 140 mm more than its predecessor and now measures a good 3079 mm. This extra space can be seen used in the second row that now has longer doors on either side which, in-turn increases the cabin space for the passengers at the second row.
Powering this lengthier E-class will be a 2.0 litre petrol engine that produces an output of 241 hp. Reports also suggest that a less powerful variant along with a detuned version is expected to arrive although there is no official confirmation from the company regarding the same.
The spy image suggests that the interior will remain identical to the current version of the E-class however; there are speculations that the dashboard will be derived from the S-class apart from receiving high-class trims as compared to its standard variant.
The E-class LWB is expected to arrive in China at the Beijing Auto Show that will be held in April this year. Reports further suggest that the E-class LWB is India bound next year. If it does arrive at Indian shores, it may come with a price tag heavier by Rs.10-20 lakh as compared to the standard E-class.
Source: CarNewsChina