| Silver has been the official colour of Mercedes-Benz grand prix racing cars since the company changed from white at the beginning of the season in 1934. The name Silver Arrow (Silberpfeile in German) was coined by the German press and since then has been worn with pride by many historic and contemporary Mercedes-Benz racing cars. So it was appropriate that our “silver arrow” the diesel powered E 250 CDI Blue Efficiency (in Avantgarde specification) was painted in a metallic shade called Iridium silver. This shade of silver best reflects the striking design of the new W212 series E-Class sedan which boasts a co-efficient of drag of 0.25 which is the same as the much hyped generation three Toyota Prius hybrid. Like Volkswagen’s Blue Motion, the Blue Efficiency badge is worn by Mercedes-Benz vehicles that are fitted with forced induction engines, low rolling resistance tyres on lighter alloy wheels and other aerodynamic technology that makes them more fuel efficient and therefore reduces those harmful C02 emissions. As well as the class leading aerodynamic figure, Mercedes-Benz has developed a special film which is integrated into the windscreen of the E-Class which is designed to keep wind buffeting to a minimum, providing the occupants with a vehicle that cruises in a serene and unruffled manner. Underneath the bonnet of our silver arrow was a 2.2 litre twin turbocharged diesel engine that produced 150kW of power and 500Nm of torque. Zero to 100kph is despatched in 7.2 seconds which is astonishing given the cars kerb weight of 1735kg, but equally impressive is the paltry C02 emission figure of 139g/km. Both of the four-cylinder petrol and diesel E-Class models come with a five-speed automatic transmission rather than the seven-speed G-tronic found in the V6 and V8 variants. While other journalists have been critical of Benz for using this transmission, we found the five-speed gearbox was more than adequate for the job of putting the power to the wheels without jolting or hunting, and there’s a sport mode button for added response when needed. Our test E 250 CDI Avantgarde felt as though it was hewn from a block of stone, the doors closed with a solid Germanic “thunk” and the heated multi contour seats are some of the most comfortable that our posteriors have road tested this year. Trimmed in dark leather with black ash wood trim the Avantgarde proved to be a very pleasant travelling companion over one of the wettest weekends in September, the climate control was left on demist and the bi-xenon headlamps were constantly switched on, so that other motorists couldn’t miss our silver arrow in the gloom. The E 250 CDI has an active safety package that included window airbags for drivers and all other occupants as well as a driver’s knee air-bag, plus Neck-Pro head restraints which activate in a collision to prevent whiplash. The lane change warning system which alerts the driver of other motorists entering the cars blind spot is a very useful function on the motorways. Other functions such the Pre-Safe collision mitigation system, and the attention assist function that warns drivers against fatigue are amongst the arsenal of clever features in the new E-Class. While the W212 E 250 might have the solid bank-vault-like feeling of a traditional Mercedes-Benz, its ride and handling is a great deal more sprightly and responsive than the older cars but not at the expense of occupant comfort. Benz has added five percent more spring travel to the front and rear suspension from the previous W211 which adds to the cosseting nature of this car. All in all the E 250 CDI offers an executive buyer the best of both worlds being luxury and economy. |
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