Mercedes is putting the finishing touches on the
facelifted E-Class, but that hasn’t stopped the automaker from giving the
current model a few updates. According to Car & Driver, Americans will get a new E350 sedan
which replaces the E300. As the name suggests, the E350 is more powerful than
its predecessor as it features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine
that produces 255 hp and 370 Nm of torque.
For comparison, the outgoing E300 had a turbocharged
2.0-liter four-cylinder with 241 hp and 370 Nm of
torque. This enabled the sedan to accelerate from 0-96 km/h in as
little as 6.2 seconds.
The 14 hp boost is certainly welcome
as it now makes the E-Class more powerful than the BMW 530i which has a
2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder with 248 hp and 350 Nm of torque. However, both models fall short of the Audi A6 55
TFSI which has a 3.0-liter V6 that develops 335 hp and 500 Nm of torque.
Since a facelifted model is right around the corner,
additional changes are limited. As a result, the E350 uses a familiar
nine-speed automatic transmission which can be connected to an optional
all-wheel drive system for an extra US$ 2,500. Unfortunately, one thing that has
changed is the E-Class’ base price. The publication says the 2020 E350 will
start at US$ 55,045 which makes it US$ 550 more expensive than the 2019 E300.
