The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class gets a substantial refresh for the model year. The fifth-gen E-Class was introduced in 2017, so it’s about time for a refresh. Except Mercedes took the E-Class’ mid-cycle refresh really seriously, as the automaker gave the model a new exterior design, more tech features, and a new powertrain. While one would think that all of these updates would raise the E-Class’ price tag drastically, pricing for the 2021 E-Class starts at $55,300 including destination, which is an increase of just $255 from last year.
Before we get into all of the changes for the 2021 E-Class, here’s a rundown on the pricing. The E 350 starts at $55,300, with 4Matic costing an extra $2,500. The E 450, which comes with a new turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine that’s paired with a 48-volt hybrid system, is priced at $63,050. The AMG E 53 and AMG E 63 S are priced at $74,950 and $108,550. The Coupe, Cabriolet, and Wagon body styles start off with the E 450 as the base trim, which cost $66,000, $73,000, and $68,650 respectively.
The 2021 E-Class gets a host of changes, but we’ll cover some of the main ones. On the outside, the refresh brings redesigned LED headlights, while the taillights now resemble ones found on a few of the automaker’s other sedans. New wheel designs and paint schemes finish off the changes on the outside.
On the inside, things aren’t all that different. The main update is a new steering wheel that now has capacitive sensors that are meant to monitor when a driver’s hands are on and off the wheel. That’s only one of the new steering wheels that’s offered, as an available Luxury steering wheel features a more traditional design. The other thing that really stands out on the inside are the two 12.3-inch screens that are attached to the dashboard.
The E-Class receives a massive tech overhaul for the new model year. The luxury vehicle gets Mercedes’ latest MBUX infotainment system, which means the old rotary controller and touchpad have been replaced by a large, single touchpad. Voice command, buttons on the steering wheel, and the 12.3-inch central touchscreen are all included, while the latest software also brings augmented video navigation.
When it comes to driver-assist features, the E-Class now comes with automatic emergency braking as standard. Of course, Mercedes will continue to offer a host of optional safety features, including adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, a surround-view camera, active parking assist, and active blind spot monitoring. Thanks to the sensors on the steering wheel, the E-Class knows when the driver’s hands are on the wheels, so the lane keeping assist system and adaptive cruise control won’t yank the wheel out of the driver’s hands.
Seeing that pricing has gone up by a modest $255 with all of the changes that Mercedes made is surprising. When Mercedes introduced the fully redesigned 2021 GLA earlier this June, it was accompanied by a price increase of $2,000. We thought it would be a similar situation for the E-Class, but we’re happy to see that’s not the case. Unfortunately, Mercedes being Mercedes, we’re sure all of the new E-Class features will be locked behind pricey packages.
The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class will officially go on sale before the end of the year.
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