Mercedes-Benz E200 CGI – A luxury, Frugality And Brisk Performance Car

The new Mercedes-Benz E200 offers excellent refinement that most luxury car-buyers are in search of

Driving on Pune roads during the festive seasons can take a toll on most due to our over-enthusiastic celebrations. Fortunately for me, I am behind the wheel of the new and very mellow Mercedes-Benz E200 CGI, enjoying my time in the lap of luxury almost insulated from the chaos outside. A great music system, spacious cabin and finely crafted interior make the E-Class a special place to be in. Unlike the diesel power E250 CDI we tested a couple of months ago, this 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, turbo-charged, direct-injection petrol motor is extremely smooth and quiet and during idling is hardly audible within the cabin. It is only when you approach the 6,500-RPM redline that the motor emits a nice and aggressive snarl.

The new Mercedes-Benz E200 offers excellent refinement that most luxury car-buyers are in search of

Although the engine is capable of producing a healthy 184 PS at 5,500 revs, outright performance is not what it has been tuned for. Aimed at the conveyance of the rich and famous in India, this Mercedes has an extremely linear power delivery, which is a high priority in this class. The throttle response and low-end is nice as 300 Nm of peak torque kicks in very quickly, at just 1,200 RPM. It’s tireless to drive in the city, with the relaxed power-flow, yet easy to overtake slower traffic. Even the electrically assisted steering is light, although well-weighted and quite accurate as on most other Mercedes models. The CGI motor silently supplies seamless surge throughout the rev range for a comfortable and jolt-free drive so that its VIP occupants can continue their business dealings without any fuss.

With the blessing of god, we were driving away from the city streets clogged with brightly lit marquees. Upon reaching the open road, we got on to our business of testing the performance of this 1,720-kg saloon. The gear-head in me kept nagging that the 2.0-litre motor felt small for this grand saloon, but I consoled it by reminding the current global trend of downsizing. Having said that, the motor has enough grunt to hold the speedometer needle firmly at three-digit speeds. Its smooth 7GTRONIC Plus seven-speed automatic transmission shifts almost unobtrusively powering the rear wheels. The highway gave me the opportunity to take control of the gearbox through the paddle-shift on the steering column. Tap on the paddle and it shifts instantly, without any sign of lethargy or elasticity, which made the drive delightfully better and more engaging than in the auto mode.

Matte-finished wood and the analogue clock carries the old-world charm, while the brush-metal accents add a contrasting modern feel to the cabin

The E200 is claimed to have a top speed of 233km/h, but it doesn’t feel as effortless at higher speeds as the diesel, and neither as brisk. This is because the petrol motor produces about 200 Nm of torque less in comparison. It wasn’t surprising that the E200 is about 1.5- seconds slower than its diesel-powered sibling, taking 9.76 seconds to do 0 to 100 km/h. The 2.0-liter CGI feels the best when driven smoothly and in a relaxed manner, transporting you in utmost comfort. The average fuel economy of 9km/l isn’t the best in its class.

Like the diesel variant, the E200 has an extremely pliant ride, which is one of the top qualities making the E-Class so popular in the luxury segment. The relaxed driving comes from the new Direct Control suspension with selective damping system, which is now part of the standard fitment. This particularly comes handy on poor roads, and we have no shortage of those in our country. The E200 fends off majority of the road undulations, excepting the really sharp ones that filter through. With its size and mass it just holds on to the road extremely well and the 245/45 R17 in tires add to the suppleness. But the supple ride quality did allow some body-roll to creep in while maneuvering at high speeds. This surely won’t dither E-Class buyers, who probably wouldn’t be driving the ‘E’ to the limit, while enthusiasts always have the option of the AMG prepped up variants.

The CGI motor silently supplies seamless surge throughout the rev range for a comfortable and jolt-free drive so that its VIP occupants can continue their business dealings without any fuss

The upgraded E-Class retains the cabin dimensions of its predecessor, which is large and spacious and gladly accommodates five adults, though the middle passenger on the rear seat has to endure the prop-shaft tunnel intrusion. The well finished interior has been re-worked and is as appealing as ever. The drive gets freshly re-profiled three-dial instrument console, though initially I still took time to get used to the plethora of stalks and paddles for cruise control, indicators, steering wheel adjustment, wipers and gear-shifter on the steering column. There’s plenty of storage space, though the door pockets could have been designed for better convenience. The matte-finished wood on the dashboard with the analogue clock looks great and carries the classy old-world charm, while the brush-metal accents add a contrasting modern feel to the cabin.

As expected, the E200 is well-equipped and has most of the useful features, such as electrically adjustable front seats, Bluetooth connectivity, Pre-Safe with eight airbags, parking sensor (sans a rear camera, though), electric steering adjust, three-zone climate control, sunroof and window blinds for rear passengers’ privacy. Apart from these, it has a touch-screen with COMAND system, but without satellite navigation.

The E200 is well-equipped and has most of the useful features

The E-Class is Mercedes-Benz’s most important car, generating large profits, and until the introduction of small models like the A- and B-Class to their Indian line-up, the premium saloon was the company’s best-seller. It has the unmistakable Mercedes solid build quality, supple ride, excellent rear seat comfort and the E200’s insulated cabin and smooth engine, which might be more attractive for many luxury car-buyers for whom refinement is a top priority. It costs $67,809, which is about a couple of lakhs less than the diesel version, making the deal sound even sweeter.