- New design benchmarks: A spatial evolution and emphasis on rear-seat space
- New comfort benchmarks: A fully immersive interior with more than 10 additional luxury features that are exclusive to China
- New intelligence benchmarks: The first model from a premium brand with Qualcomm 8295 Automotive Cockpit Platforms chip, and the first Mercedes-Benz model with 3rd generation MBUX and Automatic Lane Change Assist (ALC)
As the successor to the 10th generation of E‑Class, the all-new E‑Class long wheelbase embodies Mercedes‑Benz’s mastery in design, luxury, and safety. Two versions – the Saloon and Sports Saloon – present different design aesthetics. Both come with evolved spatial dimensions and an elongated body for a more luxurious passenger experience. The cockpit is equipped with the new MBUX Superscreen and more than 10 additional features that are exclusive to China, setting a new benchmark in the digital era.
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It is the first model from a premium brand equipped with the Qualcomm 8295 Automotive Cockpit Platforms chip and the first Mercedes‑Benz model with 3rd generation MBUX and Automatic Lane Change Assist (ALC). With these advanced technologies, the new E‑Class L is the most intelligent E‑Class ever built. It represents not only a new generation of traditional luxury, but also a new digital era tailored to the needs of Chinese customers.
The new Mercedes-Benz E‑Class long wheelbase is the latest model in line with the brand’s strategy of “Made in China, for China”. Over the years, the company has continuously expanded its presence in China, including in R&D, local production, and procurement. With the launch of the new E‑Class long wheelbase version, this will enable an even sharper focus on customer requirements. It will also accelerate the localisation of new models, including electric vehicles. Altogether, this fosters local innovation and contributes to the brand’s overall success.
Luxury aesthetics – a new design benchmark
The new E‑Class long wheelbase is extra spacious (length/width/height: 5,092 mm/1,880 mm/1,493 mm). Its wheelbase of 3,094 mm is 133 mm longer than the wheelbase in the standard new E‑Class, and 15 mm longer than that of the previous generation. The 60.76% wheelbase-to-length ratio illustrates the emphasis on rear-seat comfort and spaciousness. The two-section feature lines accentuate the elongated body side. The Maybach-inspired triangular window in the rear offers a wider view and secures additional privacy.
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The saloon comes in two versions with distinctive designs. It presents an elegant and business-orientated style, comprising a radiator grille with three horizontal twin louvres and an upright star on the bonnet. The Sport Saloon features a grille design with the star integrated into the grille. Other design features include a single louvre, grilles in a chrome star motif and chrome surrounds. The Sport Saloon is also fitted with the new AMG Sports Package. The illuminated surround of the radiator grille has two optical fibres behind the chrome strips, with light fed into the glass-fibre bundles via LED modules. The DIGITAL LIGHT headlamps and side lights have a projection function, while the rear lights include two-section LED lights with star motifs in a new contour that echoes the headlamps.
The interior space offers immersive sensory enjoyment. The MBUX Superscreen is paired with an independent instrument cluster display. It compromises a 12.3‑inch LCD instrument screen with 3D display function that allows spatial scene perception with a real depth effect. The 14.4‑inch central display and 12.3‑inch passenger display are integrated under a single glass cover. The air vents flow with the contours of the dashboard above the screen, seamlessly integrating digital technology with sleek aesthetics. With 360‑degree Ambient Lighting, the MBUX Superscreen transforms the cabin into an immersive, digital cocoon.
Luxurious equipment – a new comfort benchmark
The all-new E‑Class L features more than 10 comfort configurations that are exclusive to China. Customers can recline the rear seats by up to 36 degrees, extend the seat cushions, electronically adjust the leg rests, and activate the neck-heating function in the headrests. It also features the China-exclusive, 360‑degree Ambient Lighting, wireless charging and more. To better meet the needs of Chinese customers, the all-new E‑Class long wheelbase boasts an optimised rear bold armrest, incorporating integrated ambient-lighting strips and luxury wood trim, offering enhanced passenger comfort with refined textural details.
The Burmester® 4D surround sound system with Dolby Atmos® takes the audio experience to a new level, with 21 high-performance speakers delivering a maximum power output of 730 watts. Two transducers on each of the front seats let occupants “feel” the sound. The debut of Sound Visualisation with Active Ambient Lighting also lets occupants “see” the sounds as they rhythmically flux with the music. As a result, the audio of music tracks, films or apps is visually enriched through this immersive integration of sound, sight, and touch.
The Digital Vent Control enhances climatic comfort. Customers can select pre-sets for the air vents in the MBUX system (“Head”, “Upper body”, “Even” and “Averted”). Seat-related personalisation of the nozzle position is also possible; if the nozzles are adjusted manually, the system saves this individual setting and stores it in the user profile.
Luxury technology — a new intelligence benchmark
The all-new E‑Class long wheelbase is the first Mercedes‑Benz model equipped with the 3rd generation MBUX and it’s the first model from a premium brand equipped with the Qualcomm 8295 Automotive Cockpit Platforms chip, which adopts a 5‑nanometer process. Combined with 5G transmission technology, it brings ultra-fast connectivity and quick network response times for total reliability and safety. The optimised MBUX Voice Assistant with “Hey Mercedes” recognises speech accurately and swiftly; its response time is a mere half-a-second, and with the new “Just Talk” function, it can activate without a wake-up word and respond to colloquial language.
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The so-called routines allow the customers adapt the vehicle to their personal habits. Conditions can be attached to actions on the central display. For example, “If the interior temperature is below twelve degrees Celsius, switch on the seat heating and set the ambient lighting to warm orange.” Drivers can also assign a name to such self-created routines, such as “Warm me up”. Under this personally chosen name, the routine then appears on the screen under the menu item “My routines”. It is also activated once so that the vehicle can start it automatically.
Mercedes-Benz is working on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) so that the car learns which comfort systems vehicle occupants use repeatedly. Given the same circumstances, the aim is for AI to automate such functions[1], resulting in a whole new level of personalised automation.
The all-new E‑Class long wheelbase uses a 3D game engine provided by Unity China, which realises more detailed map rendering on the enhanced China-specific AMAP. The system graphics include grass animations, water reflections and lighting effects, providing a real-time immersive experience that mirrors the real world. With lane-level navigation, users can identify their vehicle’s lane position on highways and city expressways and receive timely prompts for lane changes before approaching exits.
The Automatic Lane Change Assist (ALC) in the new E‑Class long wheelbase is an enhanced SAE Level 2 system, also often called as Level 2+. The system is based on the SAE Level 2 standard and was especially developed in China. With active route guidance ALC enables partially automated point-to-point driving on highways and urban freeways in China. The system automatically keeps its distance from large vehicles and takes charge of driving up and down the highway while providing active navigation guidance. The Level 2+ Automatic Lane Change Assist (ALC) is based on Mercedes‑Benz’s 20 years of experience in research and development in the field of automated driving and follows the “safety-first” principle for a high level of reliability.