Overview
Bargains, cheap housing, common sense, and the station wagon are all things that are in short supply these days. Despite its niche-market status in the U.S., though, the wagon version of the redesigned mid-size E-class sedan is about to follow its four-door sibling into a new generation. Under the hood purrs a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with help from a 48-volt hybrid system that gives this wagon 375 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The E-Class All-Terrain comes standard with an adaptive air suspension, a wider cabin than before, and an Off-Road mode to maintain a level of smooth sailing even when the tide rolls in. Mercedes hasn’t mentioned a return of the 603-hp AMG E63 wagon, but our fingers are crossed. The new E-Class All-Terrain will be available in 2024.
What’s New for 2024?
Entering an all-new generation alongside its sedan sibling, the E-class wagon will have more technology and luxury than the last iteration. There’s been a full revision inside and out with a powertrain borrowed from the sedan: a 375-hp 3.0-liter inline-six hybrid. The new E-Class All-Terrain will be available in 2024.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
There are no pricing details for the Mercedes-Benz wagon yet, but the new generation and its vast makeover will certainly be reflected in the starting price for this niche car. Mercedes will continue to offer the E450 Wagon in All-Terrain guise only, skipping out on a non-cladded version, unless they decide to go all-in with a high-horsepower AMG E63 model.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Unlike the E-class sedan, the E-class All-Terrain is offered with just a single powertrain. The turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six is teamed with a 48-volt hybrid system that deploys 23 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque, bringing total output of 375 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. That’s only a tiny ump in power and torque from the previous generation wagon, which was good for a leap to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. All-wheel drive and an adaptive air suspension are both standard, as is the return of the E-class’s silky-smooth nine-speed automatic transmission. The new E-class has a longer wheelbase and width for this latest iteration, but we expect the marginal improvement in power to ease the burden of what’s likely a heavier saloon. We can’t say for certain until we’ve tested the new E-class All-Terrain, but if it’s anything like the E450 sedan we’ve sampled, the wagonized version should provide agile yet comfortable control on and off the roadway. The standard wheels are 18 inches, but 19- and 20-inch designs are optional.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The EPA hasn’t published its estimates for the 2024 E-class All-Terrain yet, but we find it likely that it will return similar fuel economy as the 2023 model that managed 21-mpg city and 28-mpg highway estimates. In our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, the 2023 E450 All-Terrain beat its EPA rating with 29 mpg, but we’ll update this space once we’ve tested the new wagon. For more information about the E-class wagon’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
The inside of the E-class All-Terrain has a very S-class look about it. The dashboard acts as a waterfall of technology and natural wood, split just below the windshield by a vent that spans the arch of the front passenger area. An optional front-passenger screen is available, but even without it, an enormous 14.4-inch infotainment touchscreen is affixed to the center of the dash. Mercedes says that up to 64 cubic feet of cargo space is available with the second-row seats folded. Those are a 40:20:40 split, and the E-class All-Terrain’s tailgate is not only powered but can be opened or closed by clicking the key fob. While in Off-Road mode, the central display illustrates additional data, including a transparent hood function that’s integrated with the wagon’s 360-degree camera to give drivers a better view of what’s directly under the front of the car.
Infotainment and Connectivity
The E-class All-Terrain’s dashboard is dominated by giant digital screens, including a 12.3-inch gauge cluster, a 14.4-inch infotainment touchscreen, and an optional 12.3-inch passenger display. These screens and the features they provide turn the inside of this wagon into a full-on entertainment center. The 21-speaker Burmester stereo can be fed any genre of music via your favorite streaming service, accessed easily by using the car’s standard wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto capability. The wagon can also become a 5G wireless hotspot, which offers a significant boost in connectivity while using the vehicle’s conferencing tools, such as Webex or Zoom.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Automated emergency braking and forward-collision warning are both standard, as is an impressive suite of other driver-assistance features that includes lane-departure warning and the like. For more information about the E-class wagon’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Standard automated emergency braking with forward-collision warning
- Standard lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
- Available adaptive cruise control with a lane-centering feature
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Mercedes-Benz offers a four-year warranty with a 50,000-mile limit across the board but does not include any scheduled maintenance visits. Other rivals match and exceed this coverage. Prepaid maintenance plans are available, however, through Mercedes dealers nationwide.
- Limited warranty covers 4 years or 50,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers 4 years or 50,000 miles
- No complimentary scheduled maintenance
