DIESEL'S LAST STAND (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Mercedes hasn't abandoned diesel power just yet. Jonathan Crouch drives the black-pump-fuelled version of the company's executive E-Class model, the E 220 d.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 33

The E 220 d diesel is a surprising stand-out in the W214-era Mercedes E-Class range. If you've dismissed diesel, then there's evidence here that the black pump might just be worth another look.

Backgroundword count: 106

Is there still a place for a diesel engine in a full-executive segment premium brand saloon or estate? Brand opinions seem divided. BMW thinks not, replacing black pump-fuelled versions of its 5 Series with petrol PHEVs. But up the road in Stuttgart, rivals Mercedes are still embracing diesel with their competing E-Class, both in a PHEV drivetrain and in the conventional E 220 d model we look at here. This variant is a 48V mild hybrid, as all W214-era conventionally-engined E-Class models now are. And if the tax implications of ownership still make sense for you, it could just be all the E-Class you'll ever need.

Driving Experienceword count: 273

This sixth generation E-Class offers a selection of combustion powerplants defiantly still including two formats well out of industry favour, diesels and a diesel PHEV. We tried a diesel for this test, the 197hp 2.0-litre four cylinder E 220 d, which like all mainstream E-Class engines is a 48V mild hybrid and gets offered in the UK only in conventional rear-driven form. Throughout our test, this unit served to remind us just what a good fit a great diesel still is on a car like this, wafting around on 440Nm of torque and easing through the perfectly-spaced ratios of the smooth-shifting 9-speed auto that all variants of this car must have. There's the usual set of Dynamic Select drive modes and in 'Sport', the most urgent of these, 62mph is 7.6s away en route to 148mph. There's also an E 300 de PHEV model with a 313hp drivetrain using a 25.4kWh battery offering nearly 70 miles of EV range. All versions of this Mercedes share a sweet handling balance, with plenty of grip and surprisingly feelsome steering. But of course an E-Class, particularly in a mainstream form like this, is most in its element at a cruise where, even in this diesel, refinement is remarkable. Ultimately, the raison d'etre of a large executive Mercedes will always be more about lowering the heartbeat than raising it and mainstream versions of this W214-era design feel more accomplished in that regard than ever before. It all delivers a special, very elegant driving demeanour that rivals still struggle to match. And in many ways, it's still the class benchmark that all of them have to aim at.

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