What a Car - UK - (2020-04)

whatcar.com^ April 2020 21

Allfourwheelssteer,makingtheRS6feelmoreathletic

Bootis comparablein sizewitha BMW5 SeriesTouring’s

Roomyinterioris practicalandexudesa classyambience

A fantasticall-rounderthat’s

far more rewarding to drive

than its predecessor

SAYS

air suspension, but this is offset by the better

body control. Indeed, the only weak spot in an

excellent package arises from the traditional

automatic gearbox, which doesn’t feel quite as

quick as the newest generation of dual-clutch

’boxes. However, it works well at a cruise, being

linked to a 48V mild hybrid system that allows

for up to 40 seconds of engine-off coasting, to

the benefi t of fuel economy.

In fact, with the drive mode set to Comfort,

it’s easy to forget you’re in a car with

enough performance to embarrass a Ferrari.

Accelerator response is easy to meter in

normal traffi c, the DRC suspension falls just

on the right side of compliant and the engine

is relatively muted. Factor in that the RS6 is as

well built and practical as the A6 Avant, with

fi ve spacious seats and a capacious boot, and

this fourth-generation model really does fulfi l

its brief of being all the car you’d ever need.

FIRST LOOK

Mercedes-Benz

E-Class

Luxury saloon gets a fresh look, new technology and more

hybrid engine options On sale August Price from £40,000 (est)

READERSOFMAGAZINESlikeHello!and OK!

will be used to the idea of a facelift. Every

so often, an ageing celebrity will reinvent

themselves with a bold new look in the

hopes of keeping pace with younger rivals.

This brings us neatly to the Mercedes-

Benz E-Class, the current model of which

is a grizzled veteran next to its luxury car

contemporaries, including the Audi A6 and

our reigning champion (and former Car of

the Year), the BMW 5 Series.

Like so many Hollywood celebrities, then,

the E-Class has been nipped, tucked and

re-presented to the world with a fresh face.

Aside from a new front grille, all E-Class

models now come with LED lights as

standard and there’s a new bumper at the

rear, along with redesigned light clusters.

Buyers can choose from a wider selection of

paint colours than before, too, and have the

option of new aerodynamic alloy wheels to

help improve fuel economy.

The upgrades continue inside, where two

10.25in digital screens are now standard,

with one given over to the infotainment

system and the other to instruments. You can

upgrade to two 12.3in screens, but even with

the smaller units, Mercedes’ infotainment

system is one of the most visually impressive,

although previous experience with it in some

of the brand’s other models suggests it won’t

beasintuitivetouseasBMW’sset-upin the

5 Series– especiallybecauseinputsarenow

madeviaa touchpadonthecentreconsole

orthetouchscreen,ratherthantherotary

controllerfoundin theoutgoingmodel.

TheE-Class’sseatshavebecomepretty

smartaswell.If youtellthecaryourheight,

thedriver’sseatwillmorpharoundyoutoa

positionthatshouldbeclosetoideal,leaving

youtomakeonlyminimalnaladjustments.

ThisupdatedE-Classis alsobetterat

recognisingyourhandsonthewheelwhen

you’reusingsemi-autonomousdriving

featuressuchasadaptivecruisecontrolwith

lane-keepingassistance.Previously,drivers

neededtomakesteeringinputstokeepthe

systemhappy,butnowsensorsin thewheel

detecteventhelightestoftouches.

Meanwhile,Mercedesis introducingoptions

gearedspecicallytowardssecurity

Driver’s seat can adjust automatically to suit your size

‘A new security system can send noti cations

to your phone if the car is tampered with’

Darren Moss

[email protected]