2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain Wagon Goes Maybe a Few More Places

Competes with: Audi A6 Allroad, the overwhelming triumph of the SUV

Looks like: A redesigned E-Class with black wheel-arch trim

Powertrain: 375-horsepower, turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder with mild hybrid; nine-speed automatic transmission; all-wheel drive

Hits dealerships: 2024

Having recently unveiled the redesigned 2024 E-Class sedan, Mercedes-Benz has now pulled the wraps off the E-Class station wagon, which will be sold in the U.S. exclusively in the All-Terrain trim. If the idea of an all-terrain luxury station wagon strikes you as odd, we agree, but think of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain as a retaliatory action. SUVs have completely won over the customers who used to buy station wagons, so the E-Class All-Terrain is adapting to fight fire with fire — or, in this case, dirt-road suspension compliance with dirt-road suspension compliance.

Related: 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class: Redesigned to Combine Luxury and New Tech

What’s New?

“All-Terrain” is a bit of a stretch. Mercedes itself says this E-Class is designed for “light terrain, such as dirt or gravel roads.” We’re tempted to ask if Mercedes considers speed bumps above a certain height or potholes that meet certain parameters to be “terrain.” As with the previous E-Class All-Terrain, the new one is just an E-Class — which we’ve found to be a satisfying luxury car — playing dress-up.

The costume starts with a standard Airmatic air suspension with adjustable ride height and adaptive dampers. The standard wheels measure 18 inches, likely to accommodate a sidewall suggestive of rough-road capability, though 19- or 20-inch rims with lower-profile tires are available. Aside from the obvious wagon body, the All-Terrain is distinguished from the E-Class sedan with a unique grille, tweaked bumpers, and gray trim around the wheel openings. For the new model year, the wagon also gets a slightly longer wheelbase that helps improve rear passenger space.

Hardcore four-wheeling people will say you can off-road anything you’re indifferent to, but to stretch the ability of the E-Class without scratching its paint, the All-Terrain does get some cool tech. Beyond the height-adjustable suspension, the most important system is the car’s so-called “transparent hood.” Switch the drive mode controller into Off-Road, and the driver gets a camera feed of what’s under the car’s nose to aid in wheel placement.

Powertrain

Otherwise, the All-Terrain is a lot like the regular E-Class sedan. It’s powered by the mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine offered in the sedan, which here makes the same 375 horsepower and 369 pounds-feet of torque. A new battery means the electric motor can contribute 23 hp — 3 hp more than in the outgoing wagon — and 151 pounds-feet of torque. Routing power through a nine-speed automatic transmission and standard 4Matic all-wheel drive, the six-cylinder flings the All-Terrain to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds.

Inside, the wagon is identical to the E-Class sedan, with the available MBUX Superscreen bringing new meaning to the phrase “door to door” by reaching across the entire dash. The optional passenger screen uses filter tech to keep the driver from being able to see it, allowing the front-seat occupant to watch media without distracting the driver. Stick with the standard setup and the driver still faces a digital instrument cluster, with a large touchscreen in the center of the dash handling secondary functions. The optional Active Ambient Lighting with Sound Visualization system uses the Burmester 4D surround-sound system’s sound-resonating transducers and lighting patterns to allow occupants to feel and “see” music instead of just hearing it.

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Breaking Out Routines

Another new function of the increasingly integrated computer systems aboard the E-Class is something Mercedes-Benz calls “routines.” This trick will allow users to program various onboard systems to respond in certain ways when appropriate conditions are met. Mercedes gives the example of the seat heaters turning on and the ambient lighting turning to a warm orange when interior temperature falls below 54 degrees Fahrenheit. We’d also suggest that when Attention Assist suspects the driver is getting fatigued, the system lowers all windows, cranks up the air conditioning and blasts some intense workout music (maybe a hot Mannheim Steamroller track).

Pricing and Availability

Mercedes hasn’t announced pricing yet for the new E-Class All-Terrain. The 2023 model started at $72,400 (including destination), so expect a base price close to $75,000. The 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain will arrive at dealerships in 2024.

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