Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Oct 12, 2009

Positioning: Make space for elegance

- Setting the standard: fifth generation of the trendsetter for premium estates
- Business-oriented: more than 50 percent of drivers are self-employed

The E-Class Estate is seen as the progenitor of the premium lifestyle estate segment more than 30 years ago. Since that time, more than one million customers have
discovered their enthusiasm for this most practical way of driving a Mercedes luxury car. Logically, ranking highest among the reasons for purchasing such a vehicle - in addition to the stylish implementation of the estate design and also general brand loyalty - is its outstanding spaciousness. The loyalty rate for ownership of the Estate is also impressive: more than 30 percent of buyers have already owned one of the premium Estate models from Mercedes-Benz - a figure which is almost double that of the major competitors in the market. In total, no fewer than 240.000 units of the predecessor have been sold.


Very little is likely to change in this respect, since the fifth generation of the E-Class Estate is again setting standards in the areas of safety, comfort, design, quality and functionality: the sum of all of its systems and features makes it the safest and most comfortable Estate in its class. It is the benchmark in terms of luggage capacity and functionality, and also when it comes to the extensive range of equipment fitted as standard, which for example includes self-levelling suspension, electro-mechanical tailgate operation, roof rails, PRE-SAFE®and ATTENTION ASSIST. The schedule for market introduction will see the vehicle launched in Europein November 2009, Japanin January 2010 and the USAin June 2010.

According to market research by Mercedes-Benz, buyers are primarily made up of the self-employed, taking a share of 50 percent, followed by managers, with a further 25 percent. Despite this, commercial use of what is the largest luggage compartment in the luxury class is not the dominant factor here. It is rather more a case of the E-Class Estate being called upon for recreational and family uses: around half of all owners have children. Mercedes-Benz is one of the few manufacturers to offer a third rear-facing seat bench as an optional extra.

Regionally, the country which dominates estate model sales is Germany: the home market for the Estate continues to account for around half of the total annual sales of 40,000 vehicles, followed by Great Britainwith approximately 8 percent. With new engines as well as a wide variety of optimisations, (aerodynamics, weight, energy management, reduced air drag and rolling resistance), it has been possible to reduce the fuel consumption and emissions of the new Estate significantly. An example of this is seen in the E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, which produces 150 kW of power and 500 Nm of torque with a fuel consumption of 5.7 l/100 km, or 150 g CO2/km.

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