We’ve already spotted Mercedes E-Class exec in saloon form, but now the load-lugging estate model is gearing up too - and is expected to appear in showrooms after the saloon at the start of 2017.
Seen here in our latest spy shots dressed in camouflage, the E-Class estate appears all but ready for production, complete with design cues aligning it to Merc’s freshest offerings such as the C-Class range.
In keeping with the C-Class and S-Class models, the new E-Class will major on style, featuring a prominent two-bar grille, wrap-around headlights and a more svelte profile to the windscreen. Unlike its square-edged predecessor, the fifth-generation E-Class adopts the family profile in a similar vein to the saloon and estate lineups at Audi and BMW.
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We expect Merc’s biggest estate to offer class-leading boot capacity, and it will do battle the Skoda Superb Estate for the title of most spacious estate.
The new E-class will also inherit many of the new safety and technological features from the latest S-class, including nine all-new or comprehensively updated driver assistant systems.
Updated safety kit, cameras and radars should feature on the new car. Plus, the Intelligent Drive and Steering Pilot system will enable the E-Class to negotiate motorway bends with no driver input, as it maintains a safe distance from slower cars up to 124mph using the adaptive cruise control.
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Engines from the upcoming E-Class saloon will be transferred into the estate version, so expect a new ultra-efficiency plug-in hybrid version. The diesel engine line up is likely to consist of a 2.1-litre unit, available in the E200, E220 and E250 guise, and a 3.0-litre six-cylinder E350 CDI.
Petrol engines likely are a 2.0-litre in E200 and E250 form, while a E300 3.0-litre may arrive at a later date. It’s also possible this version may be available with four-wheel drive for the first time in the UK.
A fire-breathing Mercedes-AMG E63 is yet to be seen in estate form, but historically Merc has offered hot estates over here. At launch, prices are expected to be similar to those of the current model, starting from £36,660.
Read our full review of the current Mercedes E-Class Estate here.