Any notion that an executive car from Mercedes has to be sober is blown away by this E-Class. With much of its style borrowed from the sleek S-Class luxury model, it brings an immense grace to the car and makes you feel good about it long before you've even opened the door. Of course, the looks and appearance of any car are subjective, but it's hard to argue this is not a very handsome machine, especially in this updated form. As facelift restyles go, this is quite a significant one. The front end features softer, re-shaped headlamps with full-LED beams and the grille's been revised too, as has the front bumper. As before, this tenth generation model displays hallmark Mercedes-Benz saloon proportions, the elongated bonnet coupled with a coupe-esque roof that flows into a sensual, broad-shouldered tail. The silhouette remains characterised by short overhangs, a long wheelbase, large wheels and taut well-defined flanks displaying dynamic feature lines. At the rear end on the saloon variant, the previous rounded tail lamps have been replaced by wider, slimmer units which extend further across the back end and into a boot lid that now has a sharper upper edge. The estate body style has a rear section much as before.
Inside, there's a new split-three spoke steering wheel with more responsive touch-sensitive buttons. And the standard offering sees the front of the cabin dominated by a couple of 10.25-inch screens, one for the instruments and the other for the infotainment functions. These are upgraded to 12.3-inches in size further up the range or at extra cost. What's really different though, is the fact that these monitors now work with the brand's latest MBUX interface, which means that you get far more sophisticated "Hey Mercedes" voice control and a lower touch-sensitive pad to replace the previous click wheel controller. As before, it does of course all feel suitably premium, with leather-covered doors and subtle ambient lighting. High-quality materials include open-pore woods, wood with what Mercedes calls 'a yachting look' and a novel metal fabric. Rear seat space is generous. And the saloon model offers a 540-litre boot, with folding rear seat backs able to extend that further if need be. As before, the E-Class estate is the biggest station wagon in the full-sized Executive segment, offering up to 1,820-litres of total fresh air.