Wagons West! 2021 Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain wagon is heading to the States

Intelligentsia: Meet your new pace car.

On Tuesday, Mercedes-Benz confirmed that it would bring its E-Class All-Terrain off-road wagon to the States for the first time this fall after it’s been on sale in Europe for about four years.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain will follow the similarly named wagon offered overseas and add to the E-Class skid plates, black body cladding, a raised ride height, air suspension, and off-road modes. If all of that sounds familiar, it should: the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo XC90 Cross Country follow similar playbooks. They’re the un-crossover crossovers; a small, but growing, subset of vehicles that cater to luxury buyers tired of big boxes. It’s the smart money, according to us.

2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain

Opinions aside, the E-Class All-Terrain and updated E-Class sedan feature the latest and greatest Mercedes tech including a revised mild-hybrid inline-6 engine instead of the outgoing twin-turbo V-6, driver-assistance features, infotainment, and a new plug-in powertrain heading to the U.S.—but not in the All-Terrain wagon. Mercedes said the All-Terrain gets MB’s revised turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 with an integrated starter-generator, similar to what’s already used in the E53 AMG sedan, coupe, and convertible. 

That powertrain makes 362 horsepower in the 2021 E450 All-Terrain and drives all four wheels via a 9-speed automatic transmission. Mercedes makes 19-inch wheels standard on the wagon, although 20-inchers are optional. Twin, 12.3-inch screens splayed across the front dash handle infotainment duties, while Mercedes’ available voice-recognition software handles natural voice commands like «Hey Mercedes, where is the nearest Whole Foods? And can I drive there via two-tracks only?»

If you must take the paved way, the 2021 E450 All-Terrain can be equipped with Mercedes’ latest suite of driver-assistance features including active lane control, adaptive cruise control, and lane change assist. Not much is new there, except MB says that its stop-and-go assist features can help the All-Terrain stay centered in its lane with a «high level of availability» at speeds up to 35 mph, which sounds comparable to BMW’s system.

Mercedes hasn’t yet said how much the 2021 E450 All-Terrain wagon will cost when it goes on sale, but it’s likely not going to be cheap. We’ll know more closer to the fall, when it’s expected to arrive.

To read the article in English. motorauthority.com