The new Mercedes-Benz E220d Long Wheelbase was recently launched in India, signifying the company's new strategy of cleaner engines and more luxury at better prices. The new saloon features more comfortable seats, a snazzy COMAND infotainment system, up to 64 programmable LEDs for ambient lighting and a host of other elements that make it an alluring package for luxury car buyers. Here, we take a first glance at what makes the new Mercedes-Benz E220d.
The new E220d Long Wheelbase edition adds a host of new luxuries, alongside focusing on important innovations. For instance, the new OM654 engine is a sub-2 litre diesel engine built to be efficient and meet emission norms. It has been assembled at Chakan, India and produces 192 brake horsepower.
The new E220d retains a lot of recognisable features and design elements from the older E series sedans. For instance, the aggressive headlamps!
Alongside more room, the rear seats also get more luxury features meant to pamper you, like the adjustable headrests and pillows for the head and neck.
The car gets a tri-zone climate control system, which gives the rear passengers with fully independent cooling control.
The rear seats offer excellent thigh and lumbar support, and along with the two head pillows, offer enough to hold you well in place. The door-mounted seat controls are also more convenient to operate than side-mounted ones.
The leather-and-veneer inserts on the doors is what you would expect from luxury vehicles, but what really impresses is the impeccable fit and finish of the equipment inside.
The cabin feels plush and warm inside, and the ample usage of wood and leather negates the coldness of chrome to make the interiors quite pleasant.
The 12.3" high resolution display is one of the bigger in-car infotainment displays in this segment. It runs on Mercedes-Benz's own COMAND infotainment system, that is complete with its own 3D satellite-based navigation system and an integrated HDD for storage of map and entertainment data.
The analogue clock in the middle, along with the large and chunky buttons add a nice touch of class to the piano black central panels.
The four central air-conditioning vents make the AC quite powerful, in our first impressions.
Adding to all of these features is the 64-colour customisable LED lighting to add to the ambience. From snazzy purple to soothing turqoise, the range is diverse.
The central pillar includes a host of controls, including parking cameras, a touch panel similar to BMW's iDrive, and chrome toggles for driving modes and volume.
Opening the door projects the three-pointed star of Mercedes on to the surface. This further heightens the impact of the car, something that Jaguar has also done with its F-Pace SUV.
The steering wheel feels plush too, and as expected, comes with a host of controls to adjust its position and operate the infotainment system.
The steering-mounted controls now include a touch panel that operates like a multi-way joystick. This is a neat little innovation that makes using the entire system really fluid.
The two touch-based input panels on the steering wheel are used to control the COMAND infotainment system and the multifunction instrument cluster displays, respectively.
Mercedes India has priced the new Long Wheelbase E220d at Rs. 51,74,000 (ex-showroom Pune). What you get here is more luxury and customisable infotainment profiles, along with a more efficient engine. Stay tuned for more in-depth insights on what powers the present-generation Mercedes-Benz.