X213 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain gets dirty

The X213 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain made its debut during this year’s Paris Motor Show, being a more rugged version of the E-Class Estate. Now, the automaker has released more details and more importantly, photos of the wagon getting its paws dirty in the wilderness.

On the exterior, the off-road look is provided by the twin-slat grille, black plastic body cladding around the wheel arches, as well as skid plates at the front and rear. The car itself is 29 mm higher than the S213 E-Class Estate, and has a ground clearance of up to 156 mm.

Thanks to its Air Body Control multi-chamber air suspension system, which offers three driver-selectable ride heights, the car can be lowered to just 121 mm off the ground. Other off-road features include the 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive system, which distributes the power between the front and rear axle in the ratio of 45:55, nifty for slippery surfaces.

Delivering said power is the duties of a new 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbodiesel that replaces Mercedes’ previous 2.1 litre mill. On the sole E220d 4Matic variant, it provides 194 hp at 3,800 rpm and 400 Nm at 1,600 to 2,800 rpm, paired with a nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic transmission. According to Mercedes, the burly E-Class will sprint to 100 km/h from a standstill in just eight seconds, before proceeding onwards to a top speed of 231 km/h.

Drivers will also get to choose between five transmission modes – Comfort, Eco, Sport, All-Terrain and Individual – via the Dynamic Select switch inside the cabin. Each mode changes the power assistance for the steering, shift points, throttle response and suspension, with the model-specific All-Terrain working the car’s air suspension, raising the car by 20 mm up to a speed of 35 km/h.

In this mode, a special indicator in the vehicle display provides important off-roading information relating to steering angle, the vehicle level (position of the air suspension), the angle of slope and the angle of inclination, the accelerator/brake position and a compass.

While the car braves the elements, you’ll be seated within a familiar E-Class cabin, with plenty of leather, wood and gizmos to fiddle either. The latter includes dual 12.3-inch high definition displays for the Comand Online infotainment system and instruments, ambient lighting and ventilated seats.

As fancy as the cabin may be, there is also some practicality to be had, as the E-Class All-Terrain offers 670 litres of boot space, and when the 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats set to “maximum cargo mode,” the boot capacity expands to 1,820 litres.

In terms of competition, the E-Class All-Terrain has the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo V90 Cross Country to contend with, both of which ride 29 mm higher than the E-Class All-Terrain. Which do you prefer?

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