Say Hello To The Swanky New Mercedes E-Class Coupe

Here it is, the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe. And to deal with the familiar-looking elephant in the room straight away: no, it doesn’t look all that different to the C-Class coupe.

But who cares: it’s - arguably - way prettier than the car it replaces, and actually looks a little more distinctive than we were expecting. It’s also a little less awkward looking than the two-door C in the rear-three quarter department.

The range kicks off with the 191bhp E220d, or the 181bhp E200 for the diesel-phobic. There’s a 242bhp E300 too, but don’t be fooled by the name - it’s powered by a 2.0-litre four-pot. If you want six cylinders, you need to look to the range-topping E400 with its 328bhp twin-turbo V6.

This isn’t where the range will end, of course. An E63 coupe is pretty much guaranteed, and the word is that there’ll be a ‘semi-skimmed’ E50 AMG putting out over 400bhp via a hybrid powertain featuring Mercedes’ new straight-six. Colour us interested…

Overall the car is longer, wider and taller than the old E-Class coupe, and as a result it’s roomier inside. The dash meanwhile is much the same as the saloon’s, meaning it’s dominated by a pair of 12.3-inch LCD screens. If you spec them, that is - peasants who aren’t quite so heavy handed with the options list will have to make do with a seven-inch display/dial combo plus and 8.4-inch LCD screen for the infotainment system.

It has the same semi-autonomous ‘Drive Pilot’ system as the saloon, but with the additional feature of ‘Remote Parking Pilot’. This will park the car remotely via a smart phone app, so you don’t have to squeeze yourself out of the car if you’re in a tight space. Future.

Want one? Prices will be revealed later this month (expect the range to start at just under £40,000), and first deliveries will be taking place next April.