This review is sponsored by BHPetrol Infiniti RON97 Euro4M. Use the referral code BHPxPAULTAN when you download the BHPetrol eCard app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to receive free 200 ePoints!
Executive car buyers will have been waiting on this one for a while now. Last September, we saw the launch of the W214 Mercedes-Benz E-Class in Malaysia, finally bringing the fight to the G60 BMW 5 Series and its all-electric i5 sibling. Fast forward two months and we’ve gotten behind the wheel of Stuttgart’s stalwart sedan and are ready to give you our verdict on which one is better.
As expected for what is arguably the Three-pointed Star’s most important model, the new E-Class is certainly competitive, at least where pricing and equipment is concerned. The car is available in two variants – the mild hybrid E200 Avantgarde at RM355,888 (around RM4,000 cheaper than the non-M Sport 520i with the five-year warranty and service package) and the plug-in hybrid E350e AMG Line at RM418,888.
The latter is just over RM1,000 less expensive than the BMW i5 eDrive40 and illustrates the diverging electrification roadmaps of the two companies – Mercedes believing in a more gradual approach in electrifying its core models. Of course, the firm does have an entry in the EV segment in the shape of the EQE, but BMW Malaysia has decided against bringing in the PHEV version of the G60 in any of its forms; it remains to be seen which strategy is the right one.
The new E200 is far better equipped than the last one. For a relatively small additional outlay, you now get things like larger wheels, a 360-degree camera system, a hands-free powered boot lid and Level 2 semi-autonomous driving features. But you’ll have to stump up for the E350e to gain the W214’s headlining features, including the Digital Light projector headlights, a 17-speaker Burmester 4D sound system and the massive phalanx of displays that is the MBUX Superscreen.
Powering the E200 is a 204 PS/320 Nm 2.0 litre M254 turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, mated to a 23 PS/205 Nm electric motor and a nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox. The E350e, on the other hand, boosts the electric motor to 129 PS and 440 Nm of torque, resulting in a total system output of 313 PS and 550 Nm; it also adds a 25.4 kWh battery to provide up to 118 km of pure electric range.
Right, enough talking. Watch the video below for Hafriz Shah’s in-depth review of the W214 to see if the car can dust up its Bavarian arch rival. Let us know what you think in the comments after the jump.
GALLERY: W214 Mercedes-Benz E200 Avantgarde
GALLERY: W214 Mercedes-Benz E350e AMG Line
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