TORQUEMIESTER MERCEDES-BENZ E270 CDI
PRICE Rs 38.26 lakh
(ex-showroom, Mumbai)
ON SALE Now

DaimlerChrysler India Ltd (DCIL) has lifted the curtain on another mouth-watering set of wheels as part of its across-the-board model revamp. Recently, the C180 was replaced by the C200K and the C200 CDI by the C220 CDI. Now the E270 CDI replaces the E220 diesel.
This car again shows DCIL's endorsement of the fact that the diesel engine is capable of delivering intense driving pleasure. The new E270 is all about heady performance and the ecstasy that seems to emanate from the driver’s seat and flow to the very core of your being when you pilot the five-cylinder Benz on a strip of inviting tarmac.
W e could tell you about the new engine, which while having the same bore and stroke as the E220, has one more cylinder, making it a five-cylinder unit. We could make you drool with anticipation as we state that this mill has 173 frisky horses residing in the crankcase and that it produces a gut-wrenching 43.3kgm of torque (up 11kgm from the old E) — literally sufficient for a truck. Delving deep into tech talk we could bring you up to speed with the E270's innards. About the new high-pressure pump that boosts the injection pressure up by 350bar to 1600bar, or about the connecting rods, aluminium pistons, crankshaft and the cast-iron crankcase that have also been modified to withstand these higher stresses. These are all systems and parts that an E270 CDI owner will probably never see. What we'd rather tell you is about the heady adrenaline rush that follows even a brief stomp of the accelerator pedal. About what you will feel, in abundance, the net result of all that mechanical wizardry. Of the driveshaft-distorting effect that brutal 43.3kgm of torque is likely to have.
This new five-cylinder E sings a slightly discordant note — typical of the type. There is just a moment's delay as if the car is gathering itself, and then it accelerates away, producing what can only be described as pure joy. The first gearshift on the five-speed auto flashes past before you can spell Mercedes, and the acceleration is so strong it leaves you gasping. Such refined punch from a diesel, who would have thought it possible even a decade ago. It has more punch than most petrol V8s in the lower half of its powerband !
We had to get some raw acceleration figures on the E270, and it didn’t disappoint. This E-class blitzes from zero to 100 in just 9.41 seconds, even faster than the petrol-engined S350L that has a hulking V6 under the hood. Definitely the car to bring to the next Autocar India drag meet, if you're looking for a podium.
And it’s refined too. Cocooned inside the plush cabin, all the road noise seems to be a hardly noticeable, which remains the same even as the car crosses the 160kph mark. Anyway, the sound system is speed-sensitive and any road sound is drowned out by the music pouring out of the car’s eight speakers.
All this pace needs a stiff suspension and grip that comes with it. As a result, the E inspires confidence when taking on sweeping corners at three-digit speeds. And to put a rein on all this speed, there’s the Sensotronic braking system which is spot-on; even hard braking at high speeds around a corner doesn't unsettle the car, the SBC braking each wheel sensitively with varying degrees of force. The flip side of the stiff suspension is a harsh low-speed ride, though this is greatly damped by the Goodyear NCT 5s this E comes shod with.
Interiors are what you'd expect in an E-class — luxurious and feature-rich with superb climate control and sound systems. Priced at Rs 38.26 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai), the new E is definitely priced at a premium but if you want the best, the E270 CDI is it.
Rishad Saam Mehta

“THE 270 CDI’S LOW END, WITH AN UNREAL 43.3KGM, IS AS PUNCHY AS A BIG BORE V8 MOTOR.”