Auto Express 1713

WE’RE always excited by cars at Auto Express – but this week comes a reminder that every vehicle that we enjoy driving is made, designed and developed by people. Because the exciting news that Matt Becker, formerly of Aston Martin and Lotus, is on his way to Jaguar Land Rover is accompanied by the sad confirmation that Mike Cross, the British brands’ director of Vehicle Targets and Sign-off, is retiring. Crossy, as he is known in the industry, joined Land Rover back in 1978 as a development engineer. He’s racked up a total of 37 years working on Jaguar Land Rover products, honing them over thousands of miles on his favourite roads, usually in the UK (we can’t divulge the precise locations, but north Wales and stretches of the Fosse…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods • All-new executive saloon preparing for 2023 launch • More efficient hybrids and S-Class tech will feature THE next Mercedes E-Class is coming in 2023, and at a time of all-electric rebirth for the German brand, it will set out to prove that Merc’s combustion-powered favourite is still an important model. It will hit UK roads in the second half of next year, beating the next-generation BMW 5 Series to market. However, while its rival will come with an all-electric option alongside its combustion and hybrid drivetrains, the E-Class will stick with 48-volt mild-hybrid petrol and diesel engines, plus plug-in hybrid power. Instead, Mercedes’s electric EQE saloon will line up as the E-Class’s EV stablemate. New E-Class development prototypes have been spotted on public roads in Europe, as…

W124 (1993-1995) A CHANGE in naming saw the facelifted W124 rebadged as the E-Class. The range was topped by the V8-powered, Porsche-built E500, and the W124 is now a cult classic. W210 (1995-2003) THIS was the first generation to feature V6 engines, while the addition of xenon headlamps was a first for any Mercedes. Most powerful model was the 354bhp E55 AMG. W211 (2002-2009) BIG sales numbers saw more than 1.5 million units sold worldwide. Efficiency was key, with a wide range of diesel engines offered through its life. W212 (2009-2016) AN angular design marked out the W212, although it was smoothed over in 2013. Coupé and convertible variants arrived with this generation. W213 (2016-PRESENT) CURRENT car is packed with tech first seen in the S-Class, including advanced driver-assist systems.…

THE new E-Class line-up will be limited to saloon and estate bodystyles, with no plans for coupé or convertible versions of the new model. However, that doesn’t mean Mercedes is abandoning the segment. Instead, it’s developing a brand-new standalone model, which will take the place of both the C-Class and E-Class coupés and cabriolets. The new CLE will arrive in 2023, and our exclusive images preview what it will look like. It’s been spied as a convertible, but Auto Express understands that the CLE will also be offered as a coupé. However, there are no plans for a Mercedes CLS-style four-door coupé variant to take on the Gran Coupé and Sportback models from rivals BMW and Audi respectively. As with the E-Class, the CLE will use the new MRA2 platform, with…

THE next-generation E-Class won’t be going all-electric, because Mercedes has already revealed the car that is the de-facto electric E-Class: the EQE (below), which goes on sale in Britain this summer. Prices are still to be announced, but we expect the newcomer to kick off from around £60,000. Badged EQE 350, the entry-level version uses a 90kWh battery and a 288bhp electric motor that sends power to the rear wheels. Mercedes claims a maximum range of 410 miles, while 170kW charging means a near-full recharge can be achieved in 32 minutes. More versions of the EQE are in the pipeline. Mercedes has confirmed 4MATIC four-wheel drive is coming, while AMG will develop a hot EQE as well, with more than 600bhp possible.…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods Brand-new saloon designed and built in China Ford has no plans to sell new Mondeo in Europe THE FORD Mondeo saloon is back for a fifth generation, but it won’t be heading to Britain. Instead, this new version of the iconic saloon has been designed by Ford’s China Design Centre in Shanghai, and is specifically for the Chinese market. Last March, Ford said that production of the Mondeo would cease at the brand’s Valencia plant, bringing an end to nearly 30 years of the model once so synonymous with hard-working Brits that it spawned the term “Mondeo Man”. Ford’s announcement referred to the European market, and the model’s continued life in Asia is not a huge surprise. However, the company recently confirmed: “There are no plans to sell…