2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe: First Impressions and Photo Gallery
CARS.COM — The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has had a coupe version for a while now, and the current one is still a good, if dated, car. But the 2018 E-Class coupe at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit brings the mid-size coupe into the modern aesthetic for the automaker’s latest look, and does so in spades.
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The front end carries the latest Mercedes-Benz family look, with a long hood and LED accented headlamps. The back end is the new coupe look that started with the Mercedes-AMG GT S and has since appeared on the S-Class and C-Class coupes almost unaltered.
The big differentiator for the E-Class coupe is the side glass, which has six window panels, four of which roll down. The rearmost quarter windows do not, but they still create huge side openings for a pillarless look; it will likely make the inevitable cabriolet model easier to do. It also makes the coupe’s visibility out of the sides and rear quarters better than just about any other coupe on the market.
As with most new Mercedes-Benz interiors, the cabin of the E-Class coupe is simply beautiful. The designs from the E-Class sedan carry over, but colors and materials take a step up the luxury ladder, with new vents that look like multispoke alloy wheels, bright metallic carbon-fiber or wood trim, and excellent leather hides.
Headroom is just on the positive side of adequate thanks to the panoramic moonroof, which is to say there’s enough of it — but just barely. Anyone taller than 6 feet is going to find the top of their head brushing the headliner. The backseat is coupe-sized, but if the front-seat occupants are willing to move up a bit, it is tolerable.
For those people still in the market for a beautiful luxury coupe, Mercedes-Benz has delivered. It will be fun to pit one against a BMW 6 Series in a future comparison test.
