UTTERING the words E-Class and hearse in the same breath may not go down too well with Mercedes-Benz.
There’s nothing morbid intended though, nor an intention to suggest the big Benz is boxy or sedate.
Flattery is the real motive, because the amount of space in the latest E-Class Estate – launched earlier this year – is a monster 695 litres.
To put things into perspective, that’s 120 litres more than even the whopping Volvo V70. Fold the back seats flat and we’re talking bonded warehouse, an immense 1,950.
Shifting gear, of virtually any size, is a doddle. But then you can cram loads of stuff into a van.
So what’s the big deal with the E-Class? Simple. It does it with more style and grace than anything else, combined with a raft of intelligent features that set a new standard in the premium sector.
That means drivers of the estate get the best of both worlds – core Mercedes qualities like comfort, safety and technology combined with engineering excellence.
For instance, every E-Class Estate model features air suspension with rear self-levelling to ensure that no matter how large or heavy the load, the car remains level in all conditions. We tried it with a skipload of detritus. It worked.
Then there’s the steely stuff. Every car is now underpinned by an advanced new chassis with 72 per cent of the body made from ultra high strength steel, resulting in a structure that’s a third stiffer than before.
And it’s all very versatile too. If you don’t require to carry any clobber, but need to load up with kids then the only problem is likely to be breaking up the squabble over which two nab the pair of full-size rear facing child seats that pop up from the floor of the boot.
It’s a simple manoeuvre, as is operating the Easy-Pack system for one-touch folding of the rear seats.
To be honest I wasn’t that fussed about the Merc when I first stepped into the cabin – all a bit austere Germanic with more upright rather than sloping interior lines.
That’s in stark contrast to the car’s profile, which is super sleek like its saloon and coupe cousins. And in Sport trim there’s a bit more aggression too with a lowdown front grille, integrated daytime running lights and side skirts.
The 250 CDI has a smooth 2.1-litre diesel engine that falls under the company’s most economical BlueEFFICIENCY banner and it proved quiet and pretty frugal in returning around 42 miles per gallon, which isn’t too far off the claimed average of 46.3mpg.
A peek through the spec list revealed no less than 77 standard features plus eight optional extras ranging from £280 for hands-free phone re-wiring to £2,185 for a COMAND multimedia system.
Most interesting was the £705 Lane Tracking package, complete with steering wheel vibration when the system thinks you have unintentionally crossed a white line - a regular occurrence on country lanes.
Fabulous car though, just a shame the rear passengers are seated so low down.
FAST FACTS
Mercedes-Benz E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Sport Estate
Price: £36,255
Mechanical: 204bhp, 2,143cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 5-speed automatic gearbox
Max speed: 143mph
0-62mph: 8.1 seconds
Combined mpg: 46.3
Insurance group: 38
CO2 emissions: 163g/km
BiK rating: 23%
Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited miles