2024-01-29 05:47:18
The Mercedes E-Class is being renewed. The indestructible traditional German sedan retains a classic appearance but now hides a highly futuristic technique. The manufacturer chose to confront it with the disruptive architecture of Frank Gehry.
The sun shines over the Spanish Basque country on this windy winter day. Our plane is about to land in Bilbao. It flies over the coast cut between dark blue sea, green cliffs and industrious brick-red villages. Posed! The small, modern airport has an elongated, all-white terminal with an original appearance. It is reminiscent of the beak of a seagull or the bone of a giant (prehistoric?) fish. Information taken, the building is due to Santiago Calatrava. This Spanish architect is also the author of the sculptural World Trade Center subway station in New York. Nicknamed the Oculus (the eye in Latin), it evokes the wings of a large white bird. Calatrava is also known for the Lyon Saint-Exupéry TGV station and even more so, for the city of arts and sciences in Valence, his hometown. But this airport, as unique as it is, is not the purpose of our trip. No, we mainly have an appointment with the last Mercedes E-Class waiting for us in the parking lot.
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The traditional sedan of the future
This road car is the heir of the middle/upper family from Stuttgart, a lineage born in 1984 but whose history actually dates back to the W114 and W124 series of the 70s. In short, it’s been going on for a while. Over the years, this model has become the symbol of the comfortable, reliable and safe German sedan.
The newcomer is also available in an estate version and in a raised All Terrain variant with all-wheel drive, intended for leisure. Aesthetically, fans will not be disoriented. This sixth generation, completely renewed, takes up the traditional three-volume line of Mercedes sedans. We will remember the light signature in the shape of a mini-wave which pays homage to the previous series with round headlights, from the 90s/2000s.
The rupture, because there is a rupture, is on the technological level.
The automatic lane change system is emblematic of this new generation. Capable of overtaking a vehicle alone, it brings the E-Class closer to an autonomous car. Under the hood, rechargeable or non-rechargeable hybrid engines are jostling. The 100% electric version, on the other hand, remains the prerogative of the EQE range.
Monument high-tech
On board, the new E-Class is more connected than ever. A real geek car. Son interminable dalle Superscreen in three parts, occupies the entire width of the dashboard, from one door to the other. The MBUX infotainment system, with 5G interaction capability, has a lot to look forward to! The front passenger has their own screen to watch films or use TikTok or Angry Birds… The screen is designed to be absolutely invisible to the driver. Careful !
Finally, Mercedes is complicit in the futility of our time with a “selfie camera” designed to awaken the influencer part that lies dormant in each of us. More seriously, this same camera allows videoconferencing, only when stopped. The office comes on board…
We take the wheel of the E 200 with a rechargeable hybrid gasoline engine coupling a 4-cylinder 204 hp accompanied by an electric unit providing an additional 23 hp. The E 220d is a roughly equivalent diesel offering. But many other rechargeable or non-rechargeable hybrid engines are also available. From this point of view, you’re spoiled for choice. On the road, the car is an example of comfort, thanks to the air suspension. Quiet, it does not leave its passengers exhausted, even after a long journey.
The Mercedes E-Class in Bilbao
In finewe stop in the evening, singular Hotel Marques de Risqual, located an hour’s drive south of Bilbao. The astonishing deconstructivist style building stands out from the surrounding rural landscape, with its well-ordered vineyards. It is reminiscent of a cloud of metal held to the ground by some invisible relief. The main building is covered with a fanciful titanium decoration with sinuous shapes. From a distance, we imagine an elegant woman whose elegant veils would be caught in a crazy storm. He is part of a large wine estate producing Rioja wine in particular. The spectacular building is by the famous Canadian architect Frank Gehry, known for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao which awakened this sleepy industrial city in the Basque Country. He is also the author of the Louis Vuitton Foundation in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris and the Luma Tower in Arles. So many striking buildings whose moving shapes mark the landscape.
The contrast between the traditionally dressed Mercedes E-Class sedan and this contortionist building is striking. Modern faces tradition. But once you get on board, the car offers a world just as futuristic as Gehry’s hotel. The Mercedes is reasonable on the outside but ultra-modern on the inside. Gehry’s hotel presents itself: unstructured outside, but very coherent inside. This star car and building reverse the contrasts.
The new Mercedes E-Class.
Site internet the Mercedes-Benz
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