Modern car buyers may be more interested in SUVs, but the launch of a new Mercedes-Benz E-Class still feels like a significant event.

The E-Class is now up to its sixth generation, and that’s if you only count the models that were officially called E-Class. The lineage of the sub-S-Class saloon arguably goes back to the W120 ‘Ponton’ of 1953. It’s an important part of Mercedes history, and it’s still beloved by taxi fleets and individuals looking for high-end luxury motoring alike.

As with every generation since the W123, there is both an E-Class saloon and an E-Class estate, and we’ve driven both of them, in diesel and plug-in hybrid forms.

]]>