Mercedes has pulled...

Mercedes has pulled the wraps from the latest E-Class.

On sale in the UK from June this year, the

all-new marks a radical departure for Mercedes, both in terms of the newcomer"s styling, and its high tech equipment.

There"s no missing the fact that this model has a wild new look, but under the skin, there are some interesting innovations, too.

Design inspiration comes from the Fascination concept.

, which includes the new squared-off headlamps, which replace

the circular units of the current car. Flagship versions will get LED

daytime running lights.

Other changes include a significant

increase in size тЂ“ the E-Class is around 70mm longer than the current

car тЂ“ which should mean it will be more spacious but perform better in

crash tests.

Inside, the cabin has been heavily influenced

by the S-Class - with many of its luxury features, including infra-red

night vision, a system that detects driver fatigue and a lane departure

warning system too.

Under the bonnet, the emphasis is on

increased fuel efficiency with a tweaked range of four-cylinder petrol

and all-new common-rail diesels. However, the range-topping models will

still be powered by large V8 units, with a 5.5-litre engine for the

E500. There will also be a high performance E63 AMG model too.

A

diesel hybrid, offering 55mpg and emitting less than 140g/km of CO2

will join the line-up a year or so after launch. Prices will be

revealed early next year, but expect the range to start at around

ТЈ28,000. An estate model will arrive in 2010.

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