Mercedes-Benz used to be able to charge whatever it wanted for its luxury cars because, well, it could. But times have clearly changed, with formidable competition coming not just from BMW, Audi, and Cadillac, but also from Lexus, Infiniti, and even Hyundai’s compelling Genesis.
Add to that an economic crisis that has even fancy folks hoarding their dollars, and the luxury-sedan picture is one where even Mercedes-Benz has to get aggressive about the pricing of its products.
And so the $49,475 base price of the V-6–powered 2010 E350 sedan, which represents a massive $4600 drop in price from 2009, should be of no surprise.
Still, the huge price reduction is noteworthy, especially considering the new standard equipment such as Attention Assist, driver knee and front pelvis airbags, and full-panic Pre-Safe automatic emergency braking system.
The 382-hp, V-8–powered E550 sedan, previously $62,575, tumbles $5400 to $57,175, while its coupe counterpart starts at $55,525, somewhat lower than the 2009 CLK550.
All prices include an $875 destination fee, but E550 coupe buyers may face an additional gas-guzzler surcharge. 4Matic all-wheel-drive will add $2500 to the price of either sedan, but it won’t be offered on the coupe.
Future Model Timeline Provided
The E-class coupes and the rear-wheel-drive versions of the sedans will be the first to arrive at dealerships in June of this year. All-wheel-drive sedans will appear in September. We will see the fire-breathing 518-hp E63 AMG sedan in November.
In March 2010, Mercedes-Benz will launch the next-generation diesel-powered, 50-state compliant E350 BlueTec four-door.
Finally, the E350 wagon will appear in June of 2010 with standard all-wheel drive and a lower price following the example of the sedans; it will probably start in the low- to mid-$50K range.
According to Bernhard Glaser, general manager of product development, a hybrid model “is in the works, but a couple of years out.”
Gallery: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
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