Car tested: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe
Price OTR Mumbai: 60,34,674/-
“If looks could kill, we’d be dead”. Yes, we are talking about the stunning new Mercedes E-Class Coupe. This 2-door comes as a CBU (Completely Built Unit) from Germany and sets a new benchmark in luxury, delivering pure exhilarating performance. The E-Coupe replaces the Mercedes-Benz CLK series globally and there is some argument that the E-Coupe is derived from the C Class. Whatever the case may be, the Mercedes E-Class Coupe is a head turner and inspires awe. It was recently launched amongst a string of launches by Mercedes-Benz this year and we drive this stunning beauty and find out if beauty is skin deep indeed!.
Exteriors – The E Coupe, as the name suggests is similar to the E Class sedan but there are a few differences. The obvious one is that its a two door and absence of the B pillar (the vertical support usually seen between the front and rear side windows) makes it look like a different, sportier car altogether. The Mercedes logo is a part of the front grille (as we see on the C Class) and the Coupe is shorter in length than the E Class sedan and is considerably lighter too.
The rear houses LED stop lamps in the center of the boot besides the regular tail light assembly. Our test car rode on 6 spoke sporty AMG alloys with low profile tires. Side turn indicators are integrated with the ORVM’s. The blackened out roof adds an exclusive look and is more curvy at the rear and subtly blends with the boot along a gradual slope, giving the Coupe an aerodynamic look. (The E 350 is supposedly the most aerodynamic production car). The shape of the windows clubbed with the absence of the B pillar looks stylish.
Interiors – Step in and the interiors are copy pasted from the E Class sedan. What is obviously noticed is the two tone black and red leather upholstery that give it a distinct sporty feel. The front seats have active headrests, which are an added safety feature. 6 airbags are standard. Roll the windows down and the cars look is transformed. The windows highlight the E Coupe’s 2 door status, very well designed indeed. The rear bench has bucket seats for 2 and there are enough storage areas for odds and ends. Headroom is short at the rear bench and that is because the E Coupe’s roof slopes towards the rear.
Dual ac at the front can be adjusted to different temperature settings and there is a vent for the rear passengers too. Black, panoramic sunroof looks stunning from the outside and opens up most of the roof. Audio system is the same as seen on the E350 sedan, other standard E class features like attention assist, adaptive headlamp assist etc remain the same too. The front seats have a hard plastic shell behind and its provided to prevent undue wear and tear the seats have to bear in order to accommodate the rear passengers. Seat adjustment is manual for easily and quickly sliding the seat to make room to get into the backseat. Larger doors look good but it also means that you have to stretch more in order to shut them from the inside.
On the Move – Open the door, step in and once the door is shut, a small arm would move the seatbelt across from the door for easy grasp and as soon as you are buckled up, the arm would go back and one would feel the seatbelt tightening up. Mercedes has always put safety on high priority while designing their cars and the E Coupe is loaded with revolutionary safety features such as Presafe. Presafe is a feature which kicks in when the car is out of control (just before a crash) and shuts all windows and the sunroof (leaving a bit open to neutralize the pressure difference in case airbags are deployed), tightens the seatbelt around the occupants. In case of an accident, the active headrests (front seats only) move forward to minimize injury due to whiplash. As we get ready to get started, something seems amiss, and that’s the Start/Stop button. Strangely its absent.
Considering that the E coupe is marketed as a Sports Coupe, push button start/stop would be liked by most. Turning the key and the powerful V6 is bursting to get loose. Floor it and the car is immediately off the line. Handling is sharp and deserves a special mention here. As the car gets into 3 digit speeds the steering becomes considerably light and is surely much more fun but it becomes all the more easy to lose control at such speeds and could lead to a tricky situation. The E350 Coupe offers features standard on the E350 sedan such as cruise control, auto wipers, auto headlamps, parking guidance etc. We had to be a little careful over speed breakers as the car would tend to brush its bottom on them owing to low ground clearance.
As we have seen in the past, Mercedes built quality is top notch and the E Coupe does not give us a reason to differ. Normally we rough out a car by running it through patchy roads to extract the tiniest of squeaks but the E Coupe fails to fail on this one. No rattles or squeaks and the car is well damped from any sort of noise and vibration. Roll down the windows and at high speeds tyre noise can be a pain but thats nothing wrong with the car as such. Its worthy to note that though the E Coupe is imported from Germany, even the locally manufactured Mercs are at par with the same built quality.
Ride, Handling and Braking – The E Coupe is a drivers car and it is the best handling, yes, i say it again, the best handling Mercedes we have driven in India. The low profile 255/35/18 tires provide superb grip and coupled with the AMG alloys, play a major role in defining the handling characteristics of this Mercedes. The E Coupe stays on line even on the sharpest steering inputs and rides as if its riding on rails. Handling was never a strong point in the Mercedes camp, but after driving the E Coupe, we think otherwise and Mercedes are well within BMW territory in terms of handling. Ride quality is average and again, its the low profile tires which take away the soft ride of the E Class sedan. Even though ride is not as good as the E Class sedan, its decent and nothing to complain about as such. Braking is good and E Coupe stopped as expected on regular and hard braking. The E Coupe is lighter and ride height is lower when compared to the E sedan and this makes a huge difference in the dynamics of the car. The car is more fun to drive with the ESP off but annoyingly it turns on automatically, just when you are starting to have some fun.
Performance – The E Coupe is powered by a 3498cc V6 petrol engine which churns out 272bhp @ 6000rpm and 350Nm of torque @ 4500 rpm. Torque delivery is smooth and is more or less available throughout the mid range of the tacho. Floor it and its hits the triple digit mark in 7.88 seconds and does a quarter mile run in 15.56 seconds (in not very ideal test conditions). We hit a top speed of 200 without breaking into a sweat. The E Coupe weighs about 1730 kgs and having shed the extra kilos, it delivers superb performance. The 7Gtronic gearbox is responsive and the gear lever is similar to the one we see on the C Class. Sadly, paddles are missing and there is no valid explanation why? Lack of paddles somehow takes away all the sportiness this car has to offer. The E Sedan, with the identical engine comes with paddles and this omission of paddles is hard to digest. The gearbox offers comfort and sport setting and one can choose the required setting accordingly. Manual shifting can be done by flicking the gear lever left and right. While shifting gears from D, P or R, we found the lever pretty hard. Something we haven’t seen on other cars having the same gearbox. Possibly, this car is a victim of over enthusiastic driving.
Conclusion – The E Coupe, without any doubts, is a great car and is not a car one would pick readily since there is a difference of only about 5 – 6 lakhs between the Coupe and the E350 sedan. With most going for the sedan purely for 4 door comfort, the E Coupe is an ideal car for making a style statement or being different and unconventional from the rest. Mercedes has priced it superbly considering the duty it attracts by virtue of being a CBU. Some may argue that since its based on the C Class platform, you get less for more. I would go the other way, its not everyday you get the Coupe, which is sporty like the C Class and offer luxuries of the E Class and more importantly gives you the ‘E Class’ badge on your boot.
Whats Cool 
- Handling
- Power packed performance
- Luxurious and sporty interiors
- Safety features
- Killer looks
Whats Not So Cool 
- No memory seats
- Lack of paddle shifts
- Steering too light at high speeds
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe Specifications
Engine: 3498cc, V6
Power: 272bhp @ 6000rpm
Torque: 355Nm @ 2400~5000rpm
Transmission: 7 G-Tronic
Drive Type: Rear Wheel Drive
Top Speed: 250kmph
0-100kmph: 7.8 seconds
Fuel Consumption: 06-07 kmpl (City), 08-09 kmpl (highway)
Fuel Type: Petrol
Suspension: DIRECT CONTROL suspension with selective damping syste
Tires: 235/45/17 Tubeless Radials
Brakes: Mechanical-hydraulic, dual circuit with ABS
Safety: ABS, ESP, Dual SRS front airbags, Side airbags, Immobilizer, Seat belt warning , Adaptive high beam assist, Parking guidance system, Drowsiness detection system, LED daytime lightning
EURO NCAP Rating: star2 Mercedes Benz E350 W212 Test Drive Reviewstar2 Mercedes Benz E350 W212 Test Drive Reviewstar2 Mercedes Benz E350 W212 Test Drive Reviewstar2 Mercedes Benz E350 W212 Test Drive Reviewstar2 Mercedes Benz E350 W212 Test Drive Review (5 Star)
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe Dimensions
Overall length x width x height: 4698mm X 1786mm X 1393mm
Wheelbase: 2760mm
Front/Rear Track: 1538/1544 mm
Turning Radius – 5.5m
Ground clearance: 160mm
Boot Volume: 450 liters
Fuel Tank Capacity: 80 litres (8 reserve)
Kerb Weight: 1645kgs
Co-efficient of drag: 0.26
