Mercedes replaced the S-Class for 2020, the C-Class for 2023, and now the E-Class is preparing to be reincarnated for 2024. All three cars share very similar styling characteristics, but the new W214 E-Class sedan gets one key styling detail that brings it closer to its big brother than its little one. That’s the flush-fit door handles, a feature BMW is also adopting for its E-Class rival, the 5-Series, which also makes its debut this year.

We’ve spotted E-Class prototypes testing on multiple occasions but never as dressed down as it is here Mercedes has stripped away almost all of the disguise, leaving just a couple of slim bandanas on the nose and tail. Those wraps might obscure the finer details of the front and rear LED lights, and whether or not the grille and lights are separated by a body-color section of plastic as suggested by other images, but they leave almost nothing else to the imagination.

 

So we can see the dog-bone shape of the lower bumper and the sporty-looking gills in the rear bumper of what looks like a car with the popular AMG-Line trim rather than a full AMG model. It features black window surrounds rather than the chrome we’ve seen on some other development cars, and though the three-pointed star might be missing from the large central grille badge, the multiple stars that make up the grille itself can clearly be seen. The sculpted hood features two parallel ribs designed to invoke thoughts of the powerful V6 and V8 motors that could potentially be hiding beneath, though most E-Class models will make do with four-cylinder gas and diesel motors.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll take a performance hit. Electrical assistance (48-volt mild hybrid boosts for some, full PHEV hardware for others), plus trick electric turbochargers on top-spec cars will ensure most cars have plenty of punch. But will they deliver the refinement buyers used to love in their six-cylinder premium cars? What we’re most keen to find out is whether the top-spec E63 will follow the new 671 hp C63’s lead and swap its V8 for a hybrid-boosted four-cylinder engine. Oh, and if you’re looking for a full-electric E-class you’ll have to jump across the W214’s cousin, the EQE, which is built around a dedicated EV platform and is already on sale.

Inside, there are some major surprises. While almost every Mercedes launched recently has to borrow the S-class’s style of long infotainment tablet that flows down the console, a different set of spy shots we published late last year appeared to show a new widescreen display.