Motoring: Mercedes E Class Coupe; MINI Countryman JCW; Aston Martin SUV

THE Mercedes E-Class has been lauded as the best executive car of 2016 and with its range models the consumer is not short of options.

With saloon, estate and all-terrain variants all available, the Stuttgart manufacturer is now looking to tie up its next niche with the launch of the coupe version.

The new car is said to combined stylish design with state of the art technology, which will no doubt be important selling aids.

Taking cues from the rest of the range, the coupe will also offer drivers the same smartphone integration available in the other options. In addition, the car is brimmed full of the latest driver assistance systems plus the option of semi-autonomous driving. This is married to a range of powerful engines – with low exhaust emissions – and comfortable suspensions with selective damping provide the promise of a sporty and agile driving experience.

UK pricing and specification will be announced later this month, with first deliveries arriving April 2017.

“With its clear, aesthetic lines, our new E-Class Coupé appeals equally to heart and mind. It condenses contemporary luxury, agile sportiness and high-tech engineering into an automotive personality with esprit, offering exclusive, refined driving pleasure,” says Dr Thomas Weber, Daimler board member responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

Based technically on the saloon, the coupé showcases the next step in the evolution of the Mercedes-Benz design language. It says the new coupé “exhibits a puristic, surface-accentuated design with reduced lines and sensual forms”.

The coupé proportions, typical of Mercedes-Benz, are characterised by a distinctive front end with a low-positioned sports grille including a central star, a long bonnet with powerdomes, and four frameless side windows.

Equally typical of a Mercedes coupé are the two-part, extremely flat LED tail lamps, which, in combination with LED MULTIBEAM headlamps, celebrate the world premiere of a welcome feature. When the vehicle is opened, the taillight LEDs illuminate successively from the centre of the vehicle outwards. On locking the vehicle, the light sequence runs in the opposite direction. Both are additionally combined with an up and down dimming feature.

The interior of the new E-Class coupé embodies the synthesis of sporty emotion and luxurious intelligence.
The two optionally available high-resolution 12.3-inch displays – unique in this segment – are merged under a single lens to produce a floating Widescreen Cockpit effect. This emphasises the width, alongside the fascia-spanning trim, which is finished with a dynamic sweep in the door panel. Positioned in the driver’s direct field of vision, the instrument cluster shows virtual instruments, which can be selected by the driver in three different styles, ‘Classic’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Progressive’, depending on which information and views the driver chooses.

The entry-level model combines two round dials and a 7-inch colour display cluster (1000 x 600-pixel resolution) with a central display featuring an 8.4-inch screen diagonal (960 x 540 pixels). The round dials, instrument cluster and central display are installed in a single frame with a high-gloss piano-lacquer look.

The newly designed air vents are heavily influenced by the look of a turbine engine. They are styled down to the smallest detail and finished in silver shadow.

Touch Control buttons on the steering wheel enable the driver to control the instrument cluster and multimedia system using finger swipes, without having to take their hands off the steering wheel. The car is also available with a touchpad in the centre console, which can also recognise handwriting, plus the LINGUATRONIC voice control system. There are also direct-access buttons for controlling the air conditioning, for example, and for convenient activation and deactivation of certain driver assistance systems.

High-grade materials and contemporary colours come together to create a sporty, yet luxurious, feel. There is a choice of two new light wood trim packages in open-pore and high-gloss finishes.

The interior lighting uses durable, energy-saving LED technology. The same applies to the ambient lighting with 64 colours.

***

The new MINI Clubman has been getting a dose of adrenaline thanks to the experts at John Cooper Works.

The tweaking is designed to give the car a unique high performance option in the C-segment.

It is now the most powerful MINI Clubman, with 231hp and 350nm of torque, enabling a 0-62mph time of just 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 148 mph.

MINI’s ALL4 all-wheel drive system is fitted as standard for maximum traction combined with better handling.

The full John Cooper Works specification includes upgraded suspension, braking, cooling, exterior styling and interior features.

The high-quality standard specification is enhanced with new options including a new touch-screen MINI Navigation XL.

The car is on sale now, priced at £29,345 OTR with the six-speed manual gearbox, and £30,945 OTR for the eight-speed sports Steptronic transmission option.

***

Aston Martin has secured the new manufacturing facility in South Wales it needs to begin production of its first-ever SUV.

Eager to grab a slice of the F-Pace market, the company has been backed by Legal & General Investment Management Real Assets.

Production of the new car is due to start in 2019, creating 750 jobs in the local area and many more throughout the supply chain.

LGIM Real Assets has agreed a long-term commitment to the manufacturing facility, which in turn supports the Legal & General Retirement pension fund.

Kerrigan Procter, managing director of Legal & General Retirement, said: “This high-quality Aston Martin facility will create hundreds of new jobs and support UK manufacturing, and with our long-term backing it will also help to pay our customers’ pensions. It is the latest example of our commitment to real asset investments which deliver good quality long-term income and play a meaningful role to the UK economy.”

The state of the art facility is being developed on a former Ministry of Defence site in St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan. Fit-out commences in late 2017 and plans include a VIP visitor experience.

In February, Aston Martin announced that it had chosen St Athan from 20 potential global locations as its second manufacturing facility as part of a £200m investment in new products and facilities.

A recruitment drive this summer began the search for up to 750 new Aston Martin employees who will work at the new facility, several whom have already begun their training, building the new DB11 at the firm’s Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire.

Aston Martin President and CEO Dr Andy Palmer said: “The exchanging of this contract, giving us first access to the St Athan facility, is a milestone in our 103-year history. Work now starts in earnest to turn our plans into reality.

“Since taking the decision to build our first SUV in Wales we have been impressed with the commitment and approach from both the MOD and the Welsh Government in making this project work. We continue to work with the Welsh Government in areas like recruitment to ensure we are able to meet our project timescales.”

With contracts now exchanged, Aston Martin has now commenced work on ‘Phase I’ of the St Athan site which includes the creation of the customer and staff reception areas, administration and management offices and the employee restaurant.

‘Phase II’ will commence in April 2017 when Aston Martin will gain access to the three Ministry of Defence ‘Super Hangars’ that will house the new manufacturing facility.