By Mauricio Lezcano / carsntravel.com / Photos Mercedes-Benz USA
For 2018 Mercedes Benz introduces the all new E400 4Matic Coupe, with its expressive Coupe-esque proportions, clear and sensual design and long distance comfort for four people, the new E400 4Matic Coupe combines the beauty and classic virtues of a grand tourer with state of the art technology.
Exterior
The design exudes modernity and luxury, reflecting the values of the premium brand. The new E400 4Matic Coupe shows a further development of the Mercedes-Benz design idiom with its puristic, surface-accentuating design, reduced lines and sensuous forms. Its design systematically follows the principle of sensuous clarity, presenting the Coupe as an aesthetically pleasing and modern work of art. Both hot and cool, it exudes luxury and elegance while underscoring its sporty personality.
A striking front section with a low grille and central Mercedes-Benz star merges into a long hood with power-domes, emphasizing the sporty nature of the Coupe. The stretched, dynamic look is underlined by frameless side windows and the absence of a continuous B-pillar. A high beltline delineated in polished anodized aluminum emphasizes the sporty appearance.
The rear end is dominated by an extended, sensuously sculpted and muscle-like shoulder above each wheel arch. Extremely flat, two-part taillamps with LED technology, a typical feature of Coupe models, plus separate reflectors, create an impression of width and differentiate the Coupe from the Sedan; In addition, the taillamps also have a brilliant appearance reminiscent of the glow of a jet engine. This crystal effect is achieved by reflector technology with a special surface structure.
Interior
The interior conveys a feeling of generous spaciousness. A 12.3-in COMAND display is equipped as standard. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is optionally available, a unique selling point in this segment and is merged beneath a shared glass cover creating a widescreen that appears to be floating in thin air while simultaneously blending in smoothly between the upper and lower sections of the cockpit. The driver can choose from three different styles for the virtual instruments in the instrument cluster: Classic, Sport and Progressive.
High-grade materials and contemporary color landscapes come together to create a sporty, contemporary luxury. The attractive appointments in Yacht Blue in combination with Macchiato Beige lend the Coupe a cool, exclusive yachting look. Leather upholstery, available in four different colors, is equipped as standard, while optionally available Nappa leather comes in three different colors. There are seven different trim options to choose from, including two Natural Grain wood trims.
The highly luxurious seats with a sportily contoured individual seat look make an integrated overall impression and are suited to the biometrics of the occupants. They provide good lateral support without detracting from sporty comfort. The colors of the side bolsters and the center sections of the backrest and cushion harmonize perfectly with the overall sculpture of the seats. Numerous material combinations ranging from standard leather to Nappa leather with diamond quilting are possible. Precisely executed seams give emphasis to the seat design. The wide range of exterior paint finishes is harmoniously attuned to the modern interior color schemes.
Touch Control Buttons on the steering wheel enable the driver to control the instrument cluster and multimedia system using finger swipes without having to take their hands off the steering wheel. Additional controls come in the form of a touchpad with controller in the center console, which can also recognize handwriting, plus the voice control system. There are also direct-access buttons for controlling the air conditioning, for example, and for convenient activation and deactivation of certain driver assistance systems.
The Head-Up Display is a new feature. As in a jet fighter, it projects important information directly into the driver’s field of vision on the windscreen, ensuring that there is less distraction from the road ahead. The system provides information on speed, speed limits, navigation instructions and messages from Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC; The driver can adjust the height of the virtual image so that it can be easily viewed on vehicles with seat memory function this feature stores the individual settings. A range of display content can also be enabled or disabled, and the brightness of the display adjusted individually.
Connectivity and entertainment
In the E400 4 Matic Coupe, connectivity already begins with the effortless integration of a smartphone into the onboard system that features wireless charging. Simply place the device on the charging pad at the front of the center console to connect the smartphone via Near Field Communication with the multimedia system.
It is possible to use Apple’s smartphone-based infotainment system CarPlay as well as Google’s Android Auto. If a corresponding smartphone is connected to the designated USB port, the customer can, if desired, switch to the CarPlay or Android Auto interface. Audio playback is possible from various sources, for example via Bluetooth or a USB drive. COMAND also offers hotspot functionality. It allows passengers in all seats to connect different WiFi-capable devices, such as laptop or tablet computers, to the internet.
Modern style navigation offers fast 3D hard-drive navigation with topographical map display, photo-realistic 3D buildings and 3D map rotations. The system presents its content interactively and features an animated compass. Live Traffic Information allows the reception of up-to-date and precise traffic information in real time, with significant benefits for dynamic route guidance and precise calculation of estimated arrival time.
3D sound with concert hall experience, the Frontbass system in the Coupe delivers a special listening experience. It uses the space in the cross member and side member of the body structure as a resonance chamber for the bass speakers. Alongside the premium sound system, the optional Burmester High-End 3D Surround Sound System is also available. This treats the occupants to a listening experience reminiscent of the acoustics in a concert hall. This second-generation sound system additionally uses four roof speakers two in the front and two in the rear. The effect: reflections, which come off the ceiling in a concert hall, are incorporated into the sound design in the same authentic manner. By contrast, other 3D sound systems dispense with roof speakers and use algorithms to simulate a 3D sound.
Drive system and suspension
Under the hood a powerful and efficient 3.0L V6 biturbo engine, equipped with ECO Start/Stop and a nine-speed automatic transmission, provides for lively performance and great fun behind the wheel. The new E400 4Matic Coupe is equipped as standard with the new 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission, which ensures fast gear changes and allows for low engine revs.
The suspension offers agile driving pleasure on winding roads together with exceptional ride comfort. The Coupe comes as standard with a lowered suspension with selective damping. Alternatively, the new E400 4Matic Coupe can be equipped with multi-chamber air suspension, including all-around roll/pitch/heave stabilization. Advantages of this system: three chambers of different size in the spring struts of the rear axle and two in the spring struts of the front axle make it possible to control the hardness of the suspension in three stages. In this way, the occupants enjoy soft basic suspension, along with the secure feeling of good handling stability at higher speeds.
The multi-chamber air suspension is augmented by a continuous, electronically controlled adaptive damping system. The damping at each individual wheel is adjusted fully automatically to suit the current driving situation and condition of the road such as in the case of evasive maneuvers or on rough tracks. The system therefore delivers good ride comfort along with excellent driving dynamics.
Using the DYNAMIC SELECT switch, the driver can also select different suspension characteristics in combination with the AIR BODY CONTROL system: Comfort, ECO, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. However, the DYNAMIC SELECT system not only makes it possible to select the suspension characteristics in combination with AIR BODY CONTROL, it also enables the driver to influence other vehicle settings such as the throttle response, ECO Start/Stop function, shift points of the automatic transmission and more. Depending on the equipment level, DYNAMIC SELECT provides the following transmission modes: Comfort, ECO, Sport, Sport + and Individual. Individual allows drivers to configure their own preferred vehicle settings.
Summary
As an exclusive and sporty coupe, the latest member of the E-Class family can look back on an almost fifty-year history; With its clear, aesthetic lines, the new E400 4Matic Coupe appeals equally to the heart and mind. It combines contemporary luxury, agile sportiness and technology at a high level, while offering exclusive, refined driving pleasure. The manufacture’s suggested retail price for the 2018 Mercedes Benz E400 4Matic Coupe starts at $62,395.00.
mlezcano@carsntravel.com
