German Car Zone

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During the presentation of the new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan, we could have sworn that the Mercedes spokesperson said the car had a "eunuch personality."

Now that was a bit harsh, we thought. But, if true, we weren't so sure that we wanted to make the car's acquaintance. That description certainly jibed with the presenter's early characterization of the new E-Class' design as being a "reflection of its inner values without aggressiveness." Indeed, lack of aggressiveness is something of a job requirement for eunuchs.

Perhaps it was the dazzling 3-D film of the new E-Class the company had just played for us that had us misinterpreting the speaker's German-accented English. Or maybe it was the jet-lag haze that was floating around in our cranium. Or the big honkin' magnum of 1970 Rothschild we had helped empty the night before. What he'd said was "unique," as in the car has a unique personality. Right. Of course.

Anyway, we thought, we had just driven the 382-horsepower, 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 to the presentation and it was certainly no eunuch. To the contrary, it had more than its fair share of equipment and potentially troublesome systems.

Adaptive Automatic Assist-Tronic

For this launch of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, we were presented with the opportunity to drive a 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550, which like every other 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 provided for this event had been loaded to the rooftops with cameras (three of them) and radar systems (one long-range and two short-range) and infrared this and swiveling that and human-form recognition software and a vibrating steering wheel and seats that bulged in concert to the car's g-load and also mechanical eyelids.

It's a bewildering array of sensors, detectors and emitters. Hearing this, you expect the thing to look like some project from the Department of Defense, bristling with antennae and unidentifiable domes and cones and cylinders. In fact, however, the E-Class looks remarkably like a car, as evidenced by the attached pictures.

We shall now dive right in and describe all these sensors, detectors and emitters for you. First, the coolest, most effective one of the bunch is Adaptive Highbeam Assist. Because headlights that self-leveled and swiveled sideways in curves were not complex enough, Mercedes has given the new E-Class mechanical eyelids. A nose-mounted camera detects the headlights and taillights of other cars on the road and lowers the eyelids sufficiently to keep from dazzling traffic. If you're closing on the car in front of you, the Highbeam Assist will progressively lower its lids, keeping the beams from blasting the rearview mirror. So, depending on conditions, the headlamps can light between about 215 feet and 985 feet of the road ahead. Amazingly, this actually works.


Full Story: Edmunds Inside Line - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 First Drive



M

This is freakin awesome...except for the fact that if you get into a little fender bender where your headlight gets busted, then it's gonna cost an arm and a leg.

Interesting but somewhat strange review. The writers style and wording seem to be trying so hard to be unique, crafty and intelligent, but somehow it does not succeed all that well.

I still do not see a Lexus GS in the front???

I've noticed this as well. I think any creativity in auto journalism is always welcome. But I do agree, Edmunds writers always seem to being trying too hard.

Well any journalist with half a brain would realize this, except for those trying for some attention. Afterall, there is nothing that will get you more hits than stirring up some controversey. In this case, a controversey that doesn't exist.

Just take a look at the front and headlights...

Considering that the twin-headlight trend was started by the E-class...yeah, I still don't see the resemblence. What I do see is that MB is improving on their OWN design while Lexus copied MB with the first GS and then improved on that design with the current GS.

Thing is, MB's headlights do bare a certain resemblance to the GS' ones. While not exactly "copy", they certainly look quite similar. And Lexus made them squared first.

That is not to be denyed that when seeing the W212 front, the Lexus GS' lamps did came to my mind.

Umm...where are these headlights squared?

^^ You're kidding right?
The outer headlamp is basically a squared area. Surrounded by chrome softening its angles.
The W212 has the same unit, plus the part with the indicators giving it a more elongated look.

The inner one is totally different though, roundish in the GS only.