There’s no other way to put it – the Mercedes-Benz E Class is a superlative vehicle range
The E-Class sedan won our 2016 Car of the Year award, and the E200 sedan has impressed us at every turn over our three month long-term test this year.
But there’s one company out there that’s never satisfied with a mere, stock-standard Merc – German tuning house Brabus.
The company has a history of tinkering with Mercedes’ final product, extracting the most it can out of every area in the car, and now, they’ve turned their attention to the E-Class Wagon.
The E-Class wagon won't arrive in New Zealand, so if anything, a Brabus-enhanced version will be just as easy to source as it’s standard sibling.
Brabus new E-Class wagon upgrades are available for all model grades and engine types.
Brabus E-Class wagon modifications begin with the bodywork. Up front a new bumper is fitted with aggressive side air intakes, winglets and lower spoiler. The new bumper was designed and tested in a wind tunnel and is said to reduce front axle lift at high speeds.
In the rear Brabus fit their own diffuser, which fits underneath the stock rear bumper, with side cutouts to make way for a Brabus quad sport exhaust system.
In addition to the bodywork Brabus offer a range of monoblock Platnum Edition wheels, with sizes from 18 to 21 inches, and in various styles.
The wheels do more than just look good though. All options are safety-certified by the independent German Technical Inspection Association.
Suspension settings and components are geared depending on wheel size and tyre choice. Brabus offer a range of set-ups, from traditional sports spring and dampers, that lower ride height by about 30mm, to full air body control air suspension operated by a factory control module.
Where the Brabus touch shines through brightest is with their ECU tuning capabilities. Thanks to what the company calls ‘plug-and-play’ PowerXtra performance chips, customers are able to unlock the hidden potential in a standard E-Class.
PowerXtra performance chips, on average, improve power by about 20kW and 20Nm of torque.
For the most powerful V6, the E43 4Matic, a Brabus PowerXtra performace upgrade bumps output from 295kW and 520Nm, to 331kW and 570Nm. Upgrades improve 0-100km/h to 5.7 seconds and the speed will continue to grow until you hit an electronically limited 250km/h.
A Brabus stainless quad sport exhaust with active flap sound control offers a more exciting exhaust note over a standard E-Class.
Inside Brabus fit their own all-leather seats that can be finished in any colour you desire, stainless scuff plates to accompany the 64 colour standard interior ambience lighting, and aluminium pedals and door pins.
To top it all off Brabus provide a three-year / 100,000km warranty on all their components.
Because Brabus offer a range of aftermarket tuning solutions there isn’t a single price for their tuned E-Class wagon.
But based on other new C and E-Class model listed for sale, a E43 wagon with the full Brabus complement would cost in the region of €140,000 - €150,000 (NZ$214,000 – $233,000).
