Mercedes-Benz has released the first images of the new facelifted 2013 E-Class range.
The new E-Class features tweaked styling, new engines, a higher level of standard kit and a range of safety features taken from the new S-Class.
On the outside, the new E-Class can be distinguished from its predecessor by its new front end which does away with the quad headlamps of the old model, featuring single-piece units which conform to Merc's new 'corporate' look. The new lights are available with either partial or full LEDs.
A new grille, bumper and bonnet have also been fitted.
On the inside, very little has changed. The E-Class's interior remains a lesson in restrained elegance and features a new two-part trim which stretches across the dashboard, a three-tube instrument cluster and a new analogue clock between the air vents.
Two petrol engines and five diesels will be on offer in the new E-Class. Both of the petrol models, the E200 and the E250, are fitted with the same 2.0-litre unit developing 184bhp and 211bhp, respectively. Of the five diesels on offer, four of them use the same four-pot 2143cc unit developing between 136bhp and 204bhp, while the range-topping E 350 BlueTEC gets a 3.0-litre V6 which churns out 252bhp. The most frugal of the diesel models -- the E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid -- will manage 69mpg on the combined cycle and emit just 107g/km of CO2.
Amongst the new safety technologies included on the new E-Class are Mercedes' DISTRONIC PLUS system which prevents the driver from straying out of lane, PRE-SAFE, which can detect pedestrians and initiate autonomous braking if needed, Active Blind Spot Assist, which will warn the driver or trigger corrective braking if the driver fails to react to something in the car's blind spot, and Active Parking Assist which enables automated parking with active steering and brake control.
Mercedes has yet to release the pricing details for the new E-Class, but expect the base E 200 model to cost in the region of £30,000.
The E-Class will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show next month, with the first UK deliveries taking place in March.
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