NZ Wheels Previews New Mercedes-Benz E-Class

NZ Wheels Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the NAZA Group, today held a special event to introduce the new-generation (W211) Mercedes-Benz E-Class to the public at its head office in Klang, Selangor. The units on display were the very first ones imported to Malaysia and arrived in Port Klang earlier this week.

The event included a special presentation of gifts to the first ten Klang Valley customers who had ordered the new E-Class, as well as an ‘open house’ of the service centre.

Speaking at the event, Chua Tiong Aun, General Manager of NZ Wheels, said: “Since the launch of the new generation of Mercedes-Benz E-Class in Europe at the beginning of this year, we have eagerly awaited the opportunity to introduce it to our customers in Malaysia. Now, the first shipment has arrived and we have organized this special event to enable customers to get a closer look and feel of this superb new sedan from Mercedes-Benz.”

Mr Chua revealed that quite a number of orders have been received for the new E-Class with the most popular versions being the E 240 and E 270 CDI. The models sold are fully backed by the standard Mercedes-Benz international warranty and full after-sales support is provided by the company, which is the sole authorized importer for CBU Mercedes-Benz models from Germany.

Demand for the new generation is high and Mr Chua said that coming shipments have already been sold. Those who order a E 240 now will have to wait till November 2002 for their car while the E 270 CDI will entail a longer wait.

The units imported by NZ Wheels are official export units and fully tropicalised. Some are also supplied to Cycle & Carriage Bintang Bhd, which has said that it will start assembling the new E-Class later in the year.

Prices for the imported models are RM429,065 for the E 270 CDI and RM551,487.50 for the E 240, both prices without insurance premiums. The units offered have the highest AvantGarde equipment levels.

The new generation of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class continues the tradition of the model line which began 50 years ago and has been the most successful sedan in the upper midrange luxury segment. With some 200,000 units sold annually, it accounts for almost 25% of all cars sold in this class worldwide.

In developing the new E-Class, Mercedes-Benz spent some RM7.6 billion and the result of such an enormous expenditure can be seen in the numerous technical innovations and new standards set in vehicle safety, comfort, quality, performance and of course, engineering.

The design of the new E-Class continues the elegant lines of the preceding series, emphasising the dynamic character of the saloon more than ever. The striking twin headlamps, with which the E-Class first made its mark in 1995 to initiate a design trend, have been redesigned and slightly angled back, characterising the progressive, dynamic appearance of the front-end.

At present, five engine sizes are available for the new E-Class, ranging from 2597 cc in the E 240 to 4966 cc in the E 500 for petrol engines, and 2148 cc in the E 220 CDI and 2685 cc in the E 270 CDI for turbodiesel engines. While all the engines have been improved for better performance, lower emissions and greater economy, the CDI turbodiesel engines are new 2nd generation units with greatly improved performance, fuel consumption, emission levels, comfort and refinement.

These Mercedes diesel engines are state-of-the-art with the latest advanced common-rail technology, sophisticated variable-nozzle turbochargers. As a result, the 5-cylinder engine of the E-270 CDI now generates as much as 425 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm, improving the acceleration to 9.2 seconds for 0 to 100 km/h and a top speed of 228 km/h (with a 5-speed Mercedes automatic transmission), claims the company.

In terms of safety, Mercedes-Benz has been a world leader and whether it is the small A-Class or the big S-Class, safety standards are second to none. The new E-Class maintains such a tradition and also introduces some innovations, especially in the area of passenger restraint systems which are more intelligent and adapt to specific accident situations as well as the weight of the front occupant.

The Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) system – standard on every E-Class model – is one of the most advanced brake systems presently available in a volume-produced model. First used in the SL-Class sportscar, this is a “by-wire” system which transmits the driver’s brake command electronically to a powerful micro-computer. This simultaneously processes data on the current ride status from a variety of sensors and uses this to calculate and generate the most ideal brake pressure for each wheel.

Advances are also evident in the suspension system with a redesigned layout at the front: the previous double wishbone arrangement for the front axle is now changed to a more superior 4-link design. For the rear suspension, the independent multi-link layout is retained and with many improvements, it ensures superlative ride and handling for the new E-Class. Aluminium is extensively used, reducing weight by up to 30% in many areas.