“The current E-Class and its predecessor models have been the ‘heart' of Mercedes-Benz for more than 60 years now,” says Dr. Klaus Maier, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars. “With its typical brand attributes that include safety, comfort, innovation, economy, and quality, the E-Class has delighted around 12 million customers worldwide across eight model generations.”
A total of 1,270,000 sedans from the current E-Class series have been delivered worldwide since the model was launched in 2002, while 230,000 customers have opted for the station wagon version.
The most important markets for the E-Class are Germany and the US, each of which accounts for approximately 25% of total sales. The most popular E-Class engine versions are the E 220 CDI and E350, each of which attracts ten percent of all E-Class customers. Some 40% of all customers select a diesel-powered vehicle.
“The E-Class traditionally is one of the main pillars of our product range. Even today you will find a number of older E-Class vehicles still in good condition and in daily use, due to their outstanding quality and durability,” says Eckart Mayer, Divisional Manager, Mercedes-Benz Cars, South Africa.
“Locally the E-Class has been the number one limousine of choice with successful business executives and entrepreneurs. “During the last seven years sales have reached over 15,000 units, giving an average of 2,160 units per year. An analysis of the competitive segment over the last seven years reveals that the E-Class averages 59% of the segment with our closest competitor following with 25% share,” adds Mayer.
In 2007 innovative BlueTEC diesel technology was launched for the first time in a passenger car in Europe - in the E 300 BlueTEC. This European introduction was preceded by the launch of the E320 BlueTEC in the US in October 2006. With BlueTEC, Mercedes-Benz has succeeded in greatly reducing emissions and ensuring compliance with the EU5 emission standard. Innovative BlueTEC technology has thus made the diesel engine one of the cleanest and most efficient drive systems in the world.
“At the recent Johannesburg International Motor Show, show-goers had the opportunity to view the E300 BlueTEC and get an insight into our TrueBlueSolutions concept. Mercedes-Benz strongly believes that environmental compatibility needs to go much further than just focusing on fuel consumption or CO2 emissions. Our efforts involve around 40,000 processes per vehicle that consider the entire product lifecycle from development until disposal,” said Mayer.
The “Germany - Land of Ideas” initiative of the German federal government and German industry presented Mercedes-Benz with an award in January 2008 for innovative research in connection with the brand's introduction of BlueTEC technology to Europe. In addition, the E 320 BlueTEC was chosen “2007 World Green Car” by automotive journalists from 22 countries in April of last year. The current E-Class model series has received numerous other awards since its market launch in 2002, including an award for Best Car in the Upper Mid-Range Segment from Auto Motor und Sport magazine.
In the fall of 2006, the E-Class also clearly demonstrated its typical Mercedes brand attributes of exemplary safety, comfort, and economy during the longest long-distance diesel endurance test in automobile history: 36 E-Class cars went on a transcontinental marathon, with each vehicle driven approximately 14,000 kilometers from Paris to Beijing over 26 days.
In this endurance test under extreme conditions, Mercedes-Benz also demonstrated the top performance of its ultramodern diesel engines in terms of emissions, fuel economy, and reliability.
