IT’S hard to believe this is only the sixth iteration of Mercedes’ E-Class, a car so timeless it seems like it has always been the most coveted way to get around, except maybe for that time Noah built an ark.

There are bigger cars (Mercedes’ own S-Class, for one), but owning an E-Class has perennially told the world you’ve made it — now more than ever, since the latest E 200 costs roughly 400 grand.

I say “roughly” because there are three versions, namely Avantgarde, Exclusive and AMG Line editions. Mostly, they differ cosmetically and their prices span a S$35,000 range, but the proposition remains the same whichever you choose: the E 200 is meant to be an elegant, plush and solid executive car, reinvented for the digital age.

That much is obvious as soon as you climb aboard and find yourself confronted by more glass and pixels than you’d find on the bridge of the USS Enterprise. A 12.3-inch panel displays the driving info (and does it beautifully) while a 14.4-inch touchscreen handles the main infotainment duties, and a new 12.3-inch screen gives the front passenger something to stare at or play with.

Mercedes calls the setup a “Superscreen” and, to be perfectly honest, while it looks spectacular, it’s more gimmicky than useful. It lets the front passenger indulge his or her own entertainment preferences (the Mercedes has 5G connectivity, which makes third-party apps such as Spotify or Apple Music work natively) but doesn’t really do anything an iPad wouldn’t do. It even collects oily finger smudges the same way. Still, what is luxury, if not having something shiny to show off that you don’t actually need?

Thankfully, Mercedes focused on making its interface easy to navigate. Things never seem more than a couple of fingertaps away, and it doesn’t take long to learn where the major functions are. A new tile-based design means if you’re handy with a smartphone, you can get to grips with the Mercedes pretty quickly.

A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU

Friday, 2 pm

Lifestyle

Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.

Sign Up

One novel new feature is the selfie camera that sits on the dashboard. It lets you and everyone else on board capture your happy mugs on a road trip, but Mercedes envisions you using it for Zoom calls on the go.

Maybe that makes sense if you’re important enough, but if you ask me the one thing worse than being stuck in traffic is to be trapped in online meeting hell.

More so, since there are much better things to do behind the E 200’s shapely, three-spoke wheel. With 204 horsepower, its turbo engine is pretty brawny to start with, but it also has a nifty mild hybrid setup that adds a nice kick of acceleration. The suspension is tuned for cosseting comfort, yet it’s taut enough that the E 200 feels almost sporty. It won’t dive into corners like something Italian and red, but by virtue of the fact that it’s a sedan and relatively low to the ground, it feels nice and tied down when you do want to get through a bend at speed.

In fact, the new E-Class shows how Mercedes still does all the hardware stuff well. It has a great engine, the gearbox is unhurried and smooth, while the braking is easy to modulate. The seats feel supportive enough to sit in for half a day, which is just as well if you really do use the selfie cam for Zoom calls.

You can still find cheap plastics all around the cabin, but for the most part it looks and feels good inside the E 200. The open pore wood used in the centre console is a tasteful match for the leather-covered dashboard, and the cabin lighting is, as with all the current Mercedes models, exquisite. If anything, the traditional wood-and-leather aesthetic plays up how modern the Superscreen looks. I also give Mercedes top marks for keeping the main touchscreen low and the air-con vents high, instead of the other way around.

If you’re a bigwig who conducts things from the back seats, you’ll be well catered-to for space. The new E-Class is bigger all round, but it’s actually surprisingly roomy in the back given how the roof tapers down to the car’s tail, in service of a streamlined shape for fuel efficiency.

There’s plenty else going on with the E-Class’ styling. You can tell it’s all-new because the taillamps look like they stretch clear across the rear of the car, as well as lighting elements shaped like Mercedes’ three-pointed star.

Up front, the headlights subtly evoke the days when the E-Class had four round lamps, and there’s a broad new grille that looks nicked from an EQE, the brand’s pure electric car in the same size category.

That’s a hint that the EQE and E-Class will someday merge into one product, as Mercedes itself morphs into a pure electric car company. Could this be the last E 200 with a petrol engine? If so, it’s your final chance to buy a car that has always signalled personal success, before it changes forever.

Mercedes-Benz E 200 Exclusive Engine 1,999 cc, 16-valve, turbocharged in-line four Power 204 hp from 5,800 rpm Torque 320 Nm from 1,600 to 4,000 rpm Gearbox Nine-speed automatic  0-100kmh 7.5 seconds  Top speed 240 kmh Fuel efficiency 7 L/100 km Agent Cycle & Carriage Singapore Price S$399,888 with COE Available Now