There's no car on the road today that’s more autonomous than the new 2017 E-Class. By David Miller
Now in its tenth-generation, the mid-size 2017 Mercedes-Benz E 300 luxury sedan is as futuristic as it comes with tons of semi-autonomous technology aids to assist you along your journey.
It's not fully autonomous, that's something that's being predicted for the year 2020. For now, Mercedes-Benz is calling the E 300, a “masterpiece of intelligence” and the next step towards autonomous driving.
Drive Pilot is the main technological aid that turns the E 300 into a semi-autonomous machine. This system goes well beyond a typical Active Cruise Control function by being able to drive, steer and brake for the sedan on its own. Once the Drive Pilot is engaged via a lever on the bottom left of the steering wheel, it can achieve all those actions up to speeds of 210 km/h.
The E 300 is able to maneuver its way down the highway and along city streets with the use of a front and rear radar system, a 3D centralized camera and ultrasonic sensors all around the car. It identifies the street lanes visually, but it can stay active without them as long as another vehicle is in front of the car. All this technology enables the E 300 to steer around slight bends typical of highway driving but it will have trouble with most turns of more than 30 degrees.
I'm still not sure why one would ever need to, but the E-Class can make a lane change autonomously if you hold the indicator lever for two seconds in the direction you wish to go. The car will then move into that lane as long as it is clear. Turning the steering wheel would seem just as easy.
The Active Emergency Stop Assist system will provide a visual warning in the event of imminent collision, followed by an audible one. If there's no reaction from the driver, the E-Class will apply the brakes on your behalf and come to a complete stop, which can be a bit harsh. You've been forewarned.
A demonstration of the Active Brake Assist with Cross-traffic function showed how it avoids the risk of a front or side impact collision, particularly when crossing busy intersections. It detects nut just other vehicles but also cyclists, pedestrians and large animals. Vehicles can be detected at speeds up to 250 km/h; while cyclists and other objects will be identified at speeds up to 72 km/h.
These autonomous functions really are fabulous, but Mercedes-Benz stressed that they should only be used when needed and not just for an autonomous joyride. Every 10 to 15 seconds, the car will visually ask you to place your hands back on the wheel. If no reaction occurs, it will ask again visually, as well as through an audio chime. After 30 to 45 seconds without a response, the car will take action and gradually slow down with its hazard lights on, eventually to a complete stop for the safety of all.
If you're like many drivers who could use some assistance when parking, the E 300 has you covered whether its parallel, perpendicular, or if you just want to move forward out of your parking space. With a press of the parking button, the system will detect available parking places and perform your parking functions whether you want to go in through the front or back-in. Visual and audio warnings let you know if there are objects in the way, but it will always finish the task without the need of throttle, brake or steering inputs, which are required by some other systems.
There are so many advanced driver aids I lost count, so I will go through the rest quickly. There's Evasive Steering Assist that adds steering torque to the direction you're going in order to help avoid a collision with a car, cyclist or pedestrian; then there's Traffic Sign Assist that reproduces a speed or traffic warning on your screen to let you know if you're going above the speed limit or entering a one-way road with oncoming traffic.
There are also safety aids called Pre-Safe Impulse Side and Pre-Safe Sound that assist if you actually do get into a collision. During Pre-Safe Impulse Side, the seat will push the passenger to the centre of the vehicle to reduce the brunt of a a side impact; Pre-Safe Sound emits a brief rushing sound called “Pink Noise,” which reduces the effect of the harsh sound of a major collision on the eardrums.
Drive Pilot doesn't come standard with the E 300, but it can be added as part of the Intelligent Drive Package for $3,000. However, in order to purchase that package, you must also add the Premium Package, for an additional $5,100, which includes a rear view camera, Parking Pilot, panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel, a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and Burmester Surround Sound, to name a few of its features.
Mercedes-Benz was proudly showing off these latest technologies to us, but the company did stress that they are merely semi-autonomous driver aids that can help the driver when needed. They don’t take the place of the driver and good driving habits. The company stresses that drivers still need to be sensible and responsible, and always be in control of the car.
The E 300 has only one engine choice – a brand-new 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 241 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. It's mated to a new nine-speed automatic transmission and comes only comes all-wheel-drive form. More powerful engines will be offered in upcoming E 400 and AMG E 43 models to arrive at the end of the year.
The nine-speed automatic transmission is Mercedes' familiar 9G-TRONIC unit. It's the world's first premium nine-speed and it's also made in house. The E 300 moved up and down through the gears seamlessly. If you're looking for smooth gradual acceleration, it provides that in spades. The changes are made quickly and geared towards fuel efficiency.
I've talked a lot about autonomous driving, but the actual drive was an enjoyable one as well. Don't be fooled by the relatively low horsepower number or the four-cylinders; this E-Class feels like you're driving a V-6 and the high torque number adds enough power to pick-up your drive when needed. There's a Dynamic Select button that allows you to change drive modes to your desired style of driving: Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sport Plus or Individual.
For this first drive program, we started out in Ottawa heading north and west towards Eganville, Ontario, before finally coming back east toward Gatineau. Along the way, we found a lot of curvy roads that allowed us to fully test the steering and handling of the E 300. The weight of the steering felt just about perfect: not too tight and not too loose – just right. Only minor steering inputs were needed to navigate those sloping roads and the E-Class was quick to respond and direct on the angles it took with minimal correction needed.
Fuel consumption for the E 300 is rated at 8.1 L/100 km on the highway and 10.8 L/100 km in the city for a combined rating of 9.5. On the drive, I was able to manage an average of 8.5 L/100 km, which consisted of a lot of highway driving and rural roads without many stops.
The 2017 E-Class is longer, wider and lighter than its predecessor. It has stayed true to its concept form with a sloping, coupe-like silhouette and broad shoulders. A traditional rakish horizontal front grille stands out to set the tone for the sporty, yet classy vehicle that it is.
Personally, I think there's no luxury brand that can touch the classy interior stylings of the latest Mercedes-Benz products. The E 300 takes them to another level with breathtaking wood finishes and soft leather throughout the cockpit. The Burmester stereo speakers work well with the dark wood panels that make this E-Class feel like an S-Class.
The E-Class features two 12.3-inch instrument-cluster screens that set a wide and spacious tone for the cabin. The infotainment unit is a next-generation item for Mercedes that will soon be seen throughout its lineup – a massive upgrade from the black and white screens that never quite reflected the refinement of the rest of the interior. They bring in some much needed colour, as well as 3D graphics.
New control buttons on the Nappa leather steering wheel were intuitive and easy to use. There are two sets of them, operable with the faintest of touches and they work quickly and effectively. What might be seen as a just minor detail in proved to be rather impressive.
The price of the E 300 starts at $61,200, but keep in mind there are many options that you’ll probably want, which will considerably up your final price. Some autonomous and safety aids come standard including: Active Brake Assist, Attention Assist, Blind Spot Assist, Crosswind Assist, Pre-Safe and Pre-Safe Sound, but if you want the really cool extra stuff like Drive Pilot, Parking Pilot and enhanced Brake Assist functions, you will have to add a few packages to enhance your ride.
The 2017 E 300 became available at dealerships as of July 1. Other versions will follow, including the 329-hp E 400 and the 396-hp AMG E 43 that will arrive in Canada at the end of the year. On a side note, the E 400 has not been picked up by the United States so will be a North American exclusive for Canada.
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