The G-Wagen may be the showstopper for Mercedes-Benz at the NAIAS, but we’re also interested in the batteries powering new 53-Series AMG E-Class.
These 53-series models of the CLS, the E-Class Coupe, and the E-Class Cabriolet are now certified autobahn burners, with a brand new, electrified 3.0-liter engine featuring an exhaust gas turbocharger and an electric auxiliary compressor. The E-Class, the company’s middle-of-the-road line of cars that slot between the entry-level luxury C-Class and the flagship S-Class, is the latest in Mercedes’ lineup to get the new electrified EQ boost powertrain with an added 21 horsepower output.
To be sure, the E-Class isn’t going full-electric, or even hybrid. (The Stuttgart-based company has said it will spend $1 billion to electrify its entire lineup by 2022.) But it is getting a 48-volt battery to help it do a bunch of cool stuff, like allow the cars to shut down its engine when stopped or coasting down to save fuel and recapture wasted energy via regenerative braking.
the E-Class isn’t going full-electric
Mercedes is also bringing over its Intelligent Drive advanced driver assist tech from the S-Class to the new AMG CLS 53. This includes Attention Assist, which can detect whether the driver starts to nod off, and Pre-Safe, which detects pedestrians crossing in front of the vehicle. More advanced options, like active steering, active braking, and active parking, are also available — and will cost extra.
Not included is Mercedes’ new, highly advanced (and pretty great) voice assistant, MBUX. The feature was also absent from the new G-Class introduced this week. The company has said it will launch this spring in the A-Class hatchback in Europe and the next-generation CLA and GLA models in North America.