UK Funeral Industry Gets First Glimpse Of New E Class From Mercedes Benz

Superior UK’s Kevin Smith is back from a visit to Pilato in Italy and Binz in Germany. And he has some news about the next E Class.

We’ve known for some time that a new E Class design will be rolled out from Mercedes Benz. But, until now, the funeral industry hasn’t been able to take a close look at the aesthetics, technology, and drive of the new design. The Superior UK team recently spend a week in Europe, visiting their partners at Pilato and Binz.

“Our first stop was Pilato in Italy,” Kevin said, “where we were able to check on customer vehicles in build and discuss future products. We saw the first XF Grand Aurora come out of the paint shop, and briefed Pilato in on plans for four XJs customer vehicles.

“From Italy, we travelled to Stuttgart to spend time at the Binz factory. As part of this incredible visit, we were able to get a detailed look at the new E Class.”

Key figures from Superior UK and Binz met to discuss the run out of the current E Class and the merge through of production to new E Class. Kevin voiced questions on behalf of his funeral director customers, and was pleased to note just how easy it will be to merge the new E Class with existing vehicles in a fleet.

“The good news for funeral directors back in the UK is that the aesthetics of the new E Class are not so different from the outgoing model,” he noted. “Customers who want to add to their fleet without a total overhaul will be able to seamlessly blend their vehicles, and continue to complete their fleet without any cars looking out of place. Even though the cars will be from different years, the fleet will match.”

The Big Reveal: New E Class Model

Mercedes Benz say the new E Class is a “tour de force of technology”, and although the front end of the vehicles shares synergy with the outgoing model, anyone with a keen eye for cars will spot subtle changes.

But it’s on the inside that the differences really stack up. Interior space, ride quality, quietness, fit and finish have all been addressed by Mercedes Benz.

Standard specification includes LED headlights and taillights, satellite navigation, Active Brake Assist and PRE-Safe Sound.

All new E Class saloons will have the new nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox as standard, which delivers a high 72.4 mpg economy and lovely smooth shifts. Standard specification on the SE includes new sat nav, parking sensor and self-parking technology, impressive safety systems, and incredible 64-colour selectable LED interior lighting. The cars are luxurious to drive, with leather upholstery, heated front seats and an improved sense of space. But the car has a familiar look which will put it at home with your existing fleet.

This is all good news for any funeral director looking to add a new E Class to their fleet in 2017. The styling is the same, so old and new will merge into one classy looking fleet. But the quality of technology, the driver experience, and every detail of the fit and finish has been upgraded.

Continuity Of Design And Aesthetics

“On behalf of our customers, I am pleased to see the continuity in design language and ergonomics of the vehicle,” said Kevin. “This is great news for any customer who wants to mix their fleet or update just one limo or hearse. They’ll be able to do so without it being immediately obvious that they are running two models. “

The new E Class Estate will arrive in the UK market during October 2016, and Superior UK are gearing up to deliver the first of these stunning new vehicles in Spring 2017 with the limousine rolling out first and the hearse shortly after. The cars are already at Binz in Germany, and Superior UK are in touch every week to keep track of development work.

For more information about the new E Class, please contact Kevin Smith (for the South) Kevin.Smith@superioruk.com or Greg Platt (for the North) Greg.Platt@superioruk.com.

E Class News is a post from the Superior Automotive UK blog. The main funeral cars website is here.