Image: Mercedes-Benz press kit
The benchmark chauffeur-driven luxury sedan in India: unmatched rear seat, refined diesel, and the only segment car still offering an oil-burner.
The sixth-generation V214 E-Class doubles down on what made it India's best-selling Mercedes: a limousine-grade rear seat, S-Class-lite tech and a 2.0L diesel that still cracks 1,000 km per tank. It is the segment's most complete chauffeur-driven sedan, even if drivers will still prefer the BMW 5 Series.
The V214 stretches to nearly 5.1 metres with a 3.1-metre wheelbase, making it visibly longer and more imposing than the outgoing car. Up front, the large illuminated three-pointed-star grille and sharper digital headlamps give it presence, though the side profile borrows heavily from the C-Class, leading to some visual confusion. The 18-inch alloys look proportionate; 19s are optional. Faisal Khan flags the fake exhaust tips as a missed detail, and the polarising Mercedes logos inside the tail-lamps split opinion. The panoramic sunroof now extends almost to the rear, and flush illuminated door handles, logo puddle lamps and the new Verde Silver paint add showroom drama. It is elegant rather than aggressive, which is exactly what the chauffeur-driven buyer wants.
Inside is where the E-Class earns its money. The Super Screen layout combines a 12.3-inch driver display, a 14.4-inch central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch passenger screen that can stream video. Quality is excellent, ambient lighting spans 64 colours, and the four-zone climate control, Burmester 17-speaker system and selfie camera for video calls feel genuinely flagship. The rear bench is the real star: 26-to-36-degree recline, extendable thigh support, soft neck pillows, electric blinds, a wireless charger and a detachable Android tablet that controls almost everything. However, for the price the omissions sting: no ventilated seats, no massage function, no dedicated rear entertainment screen, and digital AC vents that prioritise novelty over usability.
India gets three powertrains: the E200 petrol (204 hp, 320 Nm), the E220d diesel (197 hp, 440 Nm) and the E450 petrol (381 hp, 500 Nm, 0-100 in a claimed 4.5 seconds). All are mild hybrids with a 48V system adding 20 hp and 200 Nm on boost. The E220d is the sweet spot: 0-100 in around 8.4 seconds, effortless mid-range overtakes and a 9-speed torque converter tuned for smoothness over urgency. As MotorBeam notes, the E450's six-cylinder delivers genuine sports-sedan pace. The diesel's old kick-in-the-pants surge is gone post-BS6, replaced by linear pull, but Faisal Khan rates the refinement high. Brake pedal feel is the weak link.
The E-Class rides on steel coil springs with a passive selective damping system; air suspension and rear-wheel steering, offered globally as the Refinement Package, are not available in India. Even so, ride quality is excellent, soaking up broken tarmac and expansion joints with the quiet composure that defines this nameplate. The steering is light around town and weighs up nicely on the highway, though body roll is considerable given the 1,900 kg kerb weight. Ground clearance is adequate but there is no nose lift, so steep ramps need care. As Gagan Choudhary points out, sport mode barely changes the character: this is unapologetically a comfort car, and the BMW 5 Series remains the choice for drivers.
Cabin materials, switchgear damping and panel fit are largely flagship-grade, with beautifully lined door pockets, real wood-effect trim and soft-close doors. Standard kit includes eight airbags with knee and centre bags, a 360-degree camera, Level 2 ADAS, self-park, electric boot, illuminated flush door handles and wireless CarPlay/Android Auto. The E-Class scored five stars in Euro NCAP. However, niggles exist: Gagan Choudhary reported the infotainment hanging twice and needing a full lock cycle to reset, and the flush door handles do not always retract cleanly. Touch buttons on the steering and the touch sunroof control are inconsistent. For a ₹90 lakh-plus car, the over-digitisation feels like style chasing substance.
The India range starts at around ₹85 lakh ex-showroom for the E200 and tops out near ₹1.08 crore on-road for the E450. The tested E220d lands at roughly ₹97.5 lakh on-road, ₹4.26 lakh above the E200 and ₹7.27 lakh above the equivalent BMW 5 Series 530i. That premium buys you the only diesel in the segment, a near-1,000 km tank range and the badge that outsells every rival. The Audi A6 and Volvo S90 have effectively exited diesel, leaving Mercedes a near-monopoly. For chauffeur-driven owners, the value case is clear; self-driven buyers will find the 5 Series cheaper, sharper and almost as plush.
"Unmatched rear-seat experience at this price; if you sit at the back, nothing else in the segment comes close."
"India's best-selling Mercedes for good reason: massive feature list, five-star Euro NCAP and 540L boot."
"The diesel is the one to buy: 1,000 km range, effortless torque, and the last of its kind in the segment."
"A lovely comfort car but not engaging to drive; the long-wheelbase China-spec version is what India really needs."
"The E450's 3.0L six-cylinder transforms the E-Class into a genuine performance sedan with claimed 4.5-second 0-100."