Mercedes Benz E Class

W120 (1953–1962)

The first modern midsize Mercedes was the W120 'Ponton' 180 of 1953. Sharing its engineering with the R121 190 SL of 1955, the Ponton was a stylish sedan with a four-cylinder engine. A larger-engined W121 190 appeared in 1958.

W110 (1961–1968)

Mercedes added tailfins to both the big S-Class and the new W110 'Fintail' 190 of 1962. In the 1965 230 model a Straight-6 engine appeared for the first time, and the four cylinder engine grew in displacement.

W114, W115 (1968–1976)

The midsize Mercedes was redesigned in 1968 as the W114/W115 'Stroke-8'. This time, the 6-cylinder models (The W114s) were most prevalent, with the W115 line making up the bottom of the company's offerings with four – and five-cylinder power. Diesel engines joined the line-up, as did a coupé body.

W123 (1976–1986)

The popular W123 quickly became a best-seller on its launch in 1976. Especially in diesel powered 200D and 240D (later also the five-cylinder 300D) guises, the cars enhanced the company's reputation for product quality. Over 2.6 million were produced until the end of production in 1986.

Saloon/Sedan, Coupé and Estate body configurations were offered.

W124 (1984–1993)

The W124 was released in 1984 and introduces several new standards for a mid-size Mercedes, as well as the third car to inherit the company's new design theme since the late 1970s; the first two being the flagship W126 and the compact W201. When the series received a facelift in 1993, the naming structure was rationalised with new letter-first nomenclature (as with other models), and officially adopted the nameplate "E-Class".

Similar to its predecessors, the W124 also offered a coupé and estate body styles. A new convertible (internally A124) was also available, making it the first mid-size Mercedes convertible.

First generation (W124; 1993–1995)

The "E-Class" name first appeared in with the facelifted W124 in 1993 for the model year 1994 (the W124 was introduced in 1984 but continued with the older naming convention until 1993, when all Mercedes-Benz models switched to a new system, e.g. E 320 instead of 300 E). The diesel versions continued to be the fuel economy option over the four and six-cylinder gasoline engines, and the gasoline V8 engines (available after 1992) increased gasoline power outputs further. Four-cylinder gasoline models were not marketed in the United States. The V8 powered sedans/saloons were named 400 E/500 E from 1992–1993, and E 420/E 500 after 1993. Likewise, the 3.0-litre cars (e.g. 300 E) were also re-badged to E 320 with the new 3.2-litre M104 engines and naming rationalization of 1994. For the diesel models the name change was less elegant, with the 250 D becoming the E 250 Diesel for example.

Sedan (W124), Coupé (C124), Convertible (A124) and Estate (S124) body configurations were offered.

From 1991 to early 1995 Mercedes offered a limited production sport version of the W124 sedan, created and assembled with help from Porsche. This was called the 500 E (E 500 after 1993).

Second generation (W210; 1995–2002)

The W210 E-Class, launched in 1995, brought the mid-size Mercedes firmly into the upper end of the luxury market. Though six-cylinder models were still offered, the four-light front end and high prices moved the car upmarket. In September 1999 the W210 E-class was facelifted. This included visual, mechanical and quality improvements over the earlier versions.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class was Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year for 1996.

While the W210 sedan was replaced by the W211 in 2002, the wagon version continued to be sold until March 2003 until the W211 wagon was available.

Third generation (W211; 2002–2009)

Launched in 2002, the W211 E-Class was another evolution of the previous model. Before North American sales began, the car was shown in the 2002 movie Men in Black II.

The W211-based W219 CLS-Class 4-door coupé was introduced as a niche model in 2005, primarily to attract a younger demographic.

The W211 E-Class was facelifted in June 2006 for the 2007 model year to address quality and technical issues raised by earlier models, Sensotronic was dropped, while Pre-Safe (w/o brake support) was made standard. The largest factory built engine in the E-class range is the E500 (badged E550 in the U.S.) which had its engine size increased from 5 litres to 5.5 litres in 2006 along with the facelift. There is also an AMG model badged E63 AMG and other tuning house installations.

In 2007 the diesel version of the E-Class was rebadged from CDI (Common rail Direct Injection) to Bluetec. While in some of the other Mercedes-Benz diesels urea injection was added, in the W211 E-Class the Bluetec name was only adopted to prevent confusion in the diesel lineup.

Sedan and wagon (W212)

The W212 replaced the W211 in 2009 (as a 2010 model). Official photos of the W212 were leaked on the internet on 9 December 2008 ahead of its 2009 Geneva Motor Show unveiling. Scans of a leaked brochure were posted onto the internet in January 2009, detailing the whole E-Class range including the new E 200 CGI and E 230 CGI with direct injected forced inducted engines. New features included a blind spot monitor, Lane Keeping Assist, Pre-safe with Attention Assist and Night View Assist Plus. In the United States the E-Class was priced nearly US$4,600 less than the previous model. The E-Class coupe is built in Bremen using the W204 C-class platform. The W212 estate was also announced and available from November 2009. The W212 cabriolet was announced 11 January 2010 at the North American International Auto Show for sale in March 2010 in Europe and in May 2010 in the United States.

In 2013 (for the 2014 model year), the E-Class was comprehensively facelifted. Daimler invested close to €1 billion into the development of the extensive refresh, making it likely the most expensive mid-life facelift in the history of the automobile. The front fascia was heavily restyled, giving it a more aggressive look compared to the pre-facelift model. The biggest change was the singular front lights replacing the twin headlamp design (marking the end of Mercedes's dual headlamps use) with LED DRLs. The facelift was meant to make it more appealing to younger customers, who prefer its newer rivals (Audi A6 (4G) and BMW 5 Series) for their more modern looks. Most of the engines remained unchanged from the previous model. The Coupé and Cabrio shared a more aggressive, swifter look than the sedan, with a more svelte front fascia and a sleeker bonnet. Although not an all-new model, majority of the auto world have stated that the updated design and several changes make the car more than a regular mid-cycle refresh. On a family portrait of several generations of the E-Class side by side by Mercedes-Benz for the unveiling of the W213 E-Class, the W212 facelift was the only mid-cycle refresh featured in the image.

Coupe and convertible (C207)

The 2009 E-Class Coupé was unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show and went on sale in May 2009.

The C207 E-Class coupe is based on the W204 series C-Class platform. The C207 E-Class shares its wheelbase with the W204 sedan. The axle tracks are within a tenth of an inch of each other, and are about two inches narrower than the front and rear tracks of the W212 E-Class sedan. While the W212 E-Class sedan is built at the Sindelfingen plant, the E-Class C207 coupe is built in the Bremen plant alongside the W204 C-Class. Mercedes-Benz is defensive about this relationship, clarifying the original reports by reporting that the C207 shares approximately 60 percent of its mechanical components with the W212. However, this includes powertrain and other technologies that are shared with the E-Class but does not alter the fact that the fundamental structure is W204 derived. Motor Trend, along with other media outlets reported that the coupe "feels nothing like the new E-Class sedan" to drive.

The A207 cabriolet was unveiled January 11, 2010 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, USA. It went on sale March 27, 2010 in Europe and in May 2010 in the United States.

Fifth generation (W213; 2016–present)

The fifth generation E-Class was unveiled at the 2016 North American International Auto Show. The next generation E-Class has design cues from the larger W222 S-Class and the smaller W205 C-Class. While the W212 E-Class has tighter surface and harder edges, the new model is curvier and more flowing.

Engine options for the W213 E-Class will see a major update, thanks to the switch to inline-6 engines from the current V6 engines, along with a new generation of four-cylinder diesel engines, codenamed OM654, and existing four-cylinder petrol engines.

The W213 E-Class received the latest in autonomous driving technology for use at highway speeds, capable of piloting itself up to speeds of 130 mph (210 km/h) for up to 2 minutes. The system uses a complex array of motion sensors, radars and cameras to scan the road ahead, and requires the driver's hands to be placed on the wheel at all times.

The E-Class was chosen as the winner in the Executive Car category at the 2016/17 ContractHireAndLeasing.com Car of the Year awards, and was also chosen as the overall Car of the Year.