Mercedes-Benz E-Class E450 Review: Is It A Sleeper?

What is a Sleeper? 

In car guys' terms, a ‘sleeper’ means a ‘car with a big powerful engine under the hood, packing in a lot of horsepower’. But that’s any performance car, right? Well, the Sleeper tag comes in if the external appearance of the said car doesn’t give you the slightest hint of just how much power is lurking underneath. But you must be wondering if the car you see in the pictures here is your regular new-generation E-Class. And we had already driven the new E-Class some five months ago when the sixth-generation E-Class landed on our shores. That one was the E200. It had a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine under the hood, which makes just over 200bhp and 320Nm. It’s rear-wheel-drive and can do 0-100kmph in just over eight seconds. You can also have the E-Class with a similar output diesel in the E220d guise. 

But what you see here is not your regular E-Class. This isn’t the E63 AMG either; don't get too excited yet. I wouldn’t have been able to hold my giggles if it was an E63. But this one, it’s the range-topper. Costing over 17 lakh rupees more than the E200 (with a sticker price of Rs 92.5 lakh ex-showroom), this one wears a 450 badge. But does it qualify as a ‘sleeper’?

Engine and Performance

Under the long bonnet of the E450 sits a straight-six. The 3.0-litre straight-six makes 387bhp and 500Nm. That’s good enough to clock the acceleration time from 0-100kmph in just 4.5 seconds. To give you a perspective, the output is almost 170bhp more than the E200, and the acceleration time is as good as the erstwhile Nissan 370Z or the Porsche 718 Cayman. Want to know some more cars this can keep up with - the Alpine A110S, the Jaguar F-Type RWD or even some American muscle cars? And these are some serious driver’s cars. But the question is - is this E450 a driver’s car?

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Well, it is fast, for the starters. The single-scroll turbocharger is ready at boost as soon as you plant your right foot on the accelerator, and the acceleration time of sub-5 seconds is apparent, and all that 500Nm is felt the moment you wring it. The squat position just before the take-off also proves just how intense the horsepower is under the hood. But there’s no hiding the fact that this is a large, heavy sedan.

It will be bought by the fat cat sitting at the back to be chauffeured from one meeting to another. They won’t care about the AWD setup, which reduces the understeer and enhances the grip when tackling a corner. They won’t even bother when say at the traffic light GP this one can smoke almost anything standing next to it. This is a fat, hefty sedan that can crunch the minions the same way the owner sitting at the back does in their respective field. 

Sadly, no, this is not the driver’s car you’d want it to be.

It doesn't feel as eager and as light on its feet as the C-Class does. We have driven the C300, and it feels like a proper sprinter compared to this one. This one has matured a lot to assume the S-Class’s place after all. Similar to that middle-aged uncle we all know who tries to wear a hip t-shirt and sneakers to look and feel young, but he simply cannot escape the fact that with age (and dimension), comes maturity. The E-Class is now more mature. The bigger engine here is to make the commutes swifter rather than thrilling. It can easily sit at triple-digit speeds and can overtake at will. But it’s not there to give an adrenaline rush to the driver. 

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Apart from the engine, which is smooth, refined, vibration-free at any speed and quite responsive, too, the overall hardware largely remains unchanged. I still wish the E-Class came with a better set of tyres that were a tad grippier and a bit more silent. The steering feels light and easy at slow speeds. But I wish they were a bit more communicative. The ride isn’t too bad, either. It absorbs most irregularities without a bother. The gearbox, too, is smooth, quick-shifting and free from any lags or jerks.

Overall, this powertrain is best suited for the long drive back home after cracking numerous meetings. It is also fitting for cruising to your favourite destinations when time permits. 

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Exterior And Interior  

Where the E200 looked stately, this one is even more so. With the 450 badging comes the AMG line kit, which gives you slightly flared-out bumpers both fore and aft. There’s a fake exhaust garnish done in chrome lower down the rear bumper, which wasn’t necessary but looks gracious, nonetheless. And it sits on 19-inch AMG line alloy wheels - and they do look like they mean business.

However, not much has changed inside the cabin over the 200. It's still luxurious, it still feels like you have gotten yourself an S-Class at a bargain. Upfront, the wooden inlays are replaced by a piano-black finish, which looks more upmarket and expensive. But if you are paying a price north of a crore, the rear seats should have offered a massager and an entertainment screen at the back. 

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Conclusion

Finally, to answer the one question we started with, is the Mercedes-Benz E450 a Sleeper? Well, it's not. Sure, it has a lot of horsepower under the hood. And, look at it from the outside, and it doesn’t seem like it can run circles around many two-door sports coupes. But can it actually do that? Maybe or maybe not. Firstly, because it is large, stately, and heavy. And despite offering a bigger engine, it hasn’t given up on any of the comforts it offers to the rear seat occupant who will be buying this car for their quick commute to and from the office. Seldom will it see the owner enjoying this engine doing drag races or canyon runs whenever the time permits. 

What it is in fact is a dying breed. Not many straight-six engines are on sale at the moment. So, if you can buy one, you should get one. After all, as petrolheads, we must conserve these last-of-its-kind species.

Pictures by Praneel Paithankar