We recently had the chance to sample the 2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe in beautiful British Columbia. But before we tell you what the new two-door E is like two drive, here are six cool facts about this stylish member of the Mercedes family
1. It actually uses the E-Class platform
The previous E-Class Coupe, codenamed C207, sat on a modified C-Class sedan chassis, which didn’t do anything to make it stand out. The 2018 version rides on the proper W123 architecture of the current E-Class sedan, making it a much bigger car than its predecessor as well as a more refined one. The wheelbase has expanded by 4.4 inches, length has increased by an even 5, and width went up by 2.9.
2. It comes with a customizable gauge cluster
The 2018 E-Class Coupe offers three selectable options for the gauge cluster design. Drivers are able to customize their gauge clusters between a futuristic one called “Progressive”, an old-school one called “Classic”, and “Sport.” The classic one resembles older Mercedes-Benz gauge clusters, complete with yellow-accented numbers and a matte gray background, and is by far the most visually appealing of the three. However, Sport and Progressive are quite interesting in their own way and display driving data clearly and concisely.
3. It comes standard with a panoramic moonroof
Panoramic glass roofs are far from rare in the luxury coupe segment, but the E-Class Coupe’s standard panoramic moonroof has some interesting particulars. Unlike some competitors, the 2018 E Coupe doesn’t use glass for the entire roof. Rather, the single glass piece stretches from just in front of the driver’s head to right before the rear passengers, with the back third of the roof or so made of sheetmetal, reducing the amount of extra weight. It’s big enough to offer occupants are able to have a clear view of the beautiful skies above them or, while traveling through granite peaks, a view of everything beside them. It also makes the cabin feel larger than it is without adding.
4. It has a pillarless design
One of the few details that survived the model changeover was the E-Class Coupe’s pillarless design. The lack of a B-pillar not only makes for smoother lines and accentuated curves, it greatly improves visibility, particularly for rear-seat passengers.
5. Its rear seats are big enough for full-grown adults
The bigger dimensions of the 2018 E-Class Coupe mean that occupants, and rear-seat passengers in particular, get some more room. How much? Well, Mercedes hasn’t announced rear leg room quite yet, but it’s certainly more than the 32.6-inches offered in the previous car; front occupants actually lose 0.2 inch, but the drop from 42.0 to 41.8 inches is hardly noticeable. Rear headroom is up by 0.9 inch to 36.4 and rear shoulder is increased by 1.4 inch to 50.3, while front occupants gain a whopping 4.1 inches of headroom and 2.0 inches of shoulder room.
In practical terms, the extra space means that even my 6’4” self fits in the rear of the car. And while I do have to scrunch down as my head just grazes the sloped headliner, normal sized adults and children aren’t going to have any problems in the back — nor will they have a problem with the sumptuously upholstered heated leather seats.
6. It is the smartest and safest car Mercedes-Benz makes
While the old adage is look to the S-Class for what will be standard on all cars ten to twenty years into the future, today, the E-Class Coupe fills that role. In fact, Mercedes-Benz’ engineers threw every piece of safety tech they had into this new E-Class two-door.
Don’t believe us? Take a look at the list of standard and available pieces of safety technology: Car-to-car communication with other E-Class, Dynamic Select, Pre-Safe, Pre-Safe Sound which in the event of an accident will emit a white noise to protect your eardrums, Drive Pilot with Distance Pilot, Active Brake Assist, Active Distance Assist, Active Steering Assist, Active Emergency Stop Assist, Active Lane Change Assist, Active Speed Limit Assist, Active Brake Assist with Cross Traffic Function, Evasive Steering Assist, and Driver Attention Assist.
The new E-Class also can be had with Air Body Control, which is the car’s active air suspension, inductive wireless charging, an intelligent LED light system that can greet you with the car’s tail lamps, and the car’s 12.3” COMAND Display infotainment center.
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