New E-Class Merc here shortly

A restyled Mercedes-Benz E-Class saloon will arrive here end of March or early April.

This will be followed in April by an Estate version and in May by Coupé and Cabriolet versions.

The E-Class range accounts for some 50 percent of all the brand's cars sold in Ireland. The new model has been wholly transformed with a makeover intended, in part, to broaden its customer appeal. It will have much sharper looks than the current more traditional model.

A broad range of petrol and diesel engines are all fitted with ECO start/stop. Irish buyers will be interested in the E200CDI, E220CDI and E250CDI Blue EFFICIENCY diesel versions. Included also will be the low-tax, low-fuel diesel/electric powered E300 Hybrid which sips just 4.1 L/100kms and has C02 emissions of 107g/km, and an annual road tax of €160. A 250 BlueEFFICIENCY petrol unit is also offered. Two transmission systems are 6-speed manual and 7-speed automatic. A suite of safety items includes driver assistance, accident prevention and occupant protection systems.

For the first time, there will be two distinctly different cars with front-end designs that are very different from eachother. Classic and Elegance (pictured above) models will cater for the tastes of traditional E-Class owners while the trendy Avantgarde version (pictured left) is aimed at wooing younger, sportier buyers. Each car can be tailored to make sure it is unlike any other.

Prices for the Saloon will be closely comparable to the current range.