Mercedes-Benz has made its own E-Class look old and outdated after it launched all-new generations of its S- and C-Class. The E-Class only got a facelift (albeit one that completely transforms its fascias), but it still feels like a car from 2015 inside, and for some buyers that might be a plus point.
The manufacturer opted not to sell the E-Class as a PHEV in the United States, but here in Europe we actually get three distinct plug-in hybrid combinations: the E300e, E300e 4Matic and the E300de, which is a diesel-electric plug-in version that’s actually one of the punchiest versions of the model.
The one I drove was the E300e 4Matic, with 320 horsepower and 700 Nm (516 pound-feet) of torque that’s sent to all four wheels. It sprints to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, tops out at 245 km/h (145 mph) and generally feels very muscular and eager to pick up and accelerate from pretty much any speed.
