Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain 2017 UK first drive

For country dwellers, off-road excursions can be part of the daily routine. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain is designed for exactly that purpose, with a 29mm higher ride height that's partly down to the Air Body Control air suspension (15mm) and also with 20in wheels fitted as standard (14mm).

To complete the package, there’s also some external plastic cladding to protect the body from scratches and scrapes, as well as the 4Matic permanent four-wheel-drive system with 31/69 front-rear torque split. This is the only E-Class estate available with the combination of the 350d 3.0-litre engine and 4Matic all-wheel drive.

The E-Class All-Terrain was launched in other markets last year but the UK is now seeing this venerable V6 diesel combined with the 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox, and it comes in pretty much one standard specification. That includes the equivalent of the AMG Line Premium Plus package that includes a panoramic glass sunroof and the Comand system, with a 12.3in infotainment screen. The All-Terrain is a five-seater only (there's no option of seven seats), albeit with an ample loading bay. It also comes with an electric folding towbar as standard and has a towing capacity of 2100kg - enough to tow another car on a braked trailer. In addition, 20in wheels are standard, although they are equipped with summer, not all-season, tyres.

At £58,880, it’s not a budget option; the car we tested ran to £60,575 with the optional driving assistance package. But Mercedes says it’s aimed at customers for whom price is not the major consideration and who may already own a high-end SUV. 

The E-Class All-Terrain is a striking car and there’s nothing ungainly about the external changes from the standard E-Class to spoil the handsome lines.

The inside oozes the usual Mercedes standards of luxury, too, but it’s in the driving that this versatile estate really excels. The V6 diesel engine may have been around for a while but it is simply exquisite; turbine-smooth, powerful and unobtrusive, the unit can deliver a mighty punch and is also capable of tugging a serious payload. The 9G-Tronic gearbox is swift and slick, reacting faster to more aggressive throttle inputs than smaller, gentler ones.

The steering is sharp and reacts immediately to input and, despite the 35 profile tyres, the car rides well on the sometimes rough-surfaced roads of the North Yorkshire test route. Only the roughest surfaces challenged the secondary ride with a slightly clattering response but the Air Body Control suspension comfortably soaked up the worst of the plunging undulations.