Mercedes-Benz To Reveal E-Class All Terrain Wagon at Paris Motor Show

Tougher Benz wagon will compete with the A6 Allroad—but will it come to the U.S.?

byBen Keeshin|
Mercedes-Benz To Reveal E-Class All Terrain Wagon at Paris Motor Show
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Only two days following the debut of the brand-new Mercedes E-Class wagonMercedes has confirmed that it will show an all-terrain variant—meant to compete with the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo Cross Country—at the Paris Motor Show later this year.

Like the A6 Allroad currently available overseas—we Americans only get the smaller A4 Allroad—the E-Class All Terrain Estate will have an adjustable-height air-suspension, a raised ride height, and a wider track. It will pack the same range of turbocharged engines as the regular E-Class wagon, with gasoline and diesel options ranging from four to six cylinders. (Keep your fingers crossed for an E43 AMG version.)

While the elongated body and reasonable ride height will mean the All Terrain will certainly be less capable off-road than the venerable G-Wagen or even softer SUVs like the GLE-Class, the new Benz soft-roader should provide more than enough ability to carry families over the river, through the woods and to any relative's house, elderly female or otherwise.

As E-Class chief engineer Michael Kelz told Autocar, “It won’t be as good as an SUV off road, but it will be able to go farther than most owners will expect.” Considering the high expectations owners bring to a Benz wagon, that's a pretty bold statement.

As is ever the case with tasty European wagons, it's unclear whether the the marauding E-Class All Terrain will motor over to our Yankee shores. As of now, Kelz says there are no plans to bring the off-road wagon Stateside—but seeing as how Mercedes is already one of the few European carmakers to go to the trouble of bringing wagons over here, an SUV-lite version would seem like a no-brainer. So keep your fingers crossed...and all manner of skis, boots, snowshoes, and hunting gear at the ready.

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