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2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class starts at $55,300, All-Terrain comes in at $68,650

The updated E-Class range gets more mild-hybrid options and MBUX infotainment tech.

Steven Ewing Former managing editor
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
Steven Ewing
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Small styling tweaks keep the new E-Class fresh.

Mercedes-Benz

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class family gets a number of updates for 2021, including styling tweaks, new mild-hybrid engine options and a big infotainment upgrade. Because of these enhancements, the 2021 E-Class models are a few thousand dollars more expensive than their predecessors, with pricing starting at $55,300 (all amounts include $1,050 for destination), Mercedes-Benz announced Wednesday.

That $55,300 price applies to the rear-wheel-drive E350 sedan, which is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo I4 engine with 255 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Adding 4Matic all-wheel drive bumps the price up to $57,800. The sedan is the only E-Class body style to get this 2.0-liter engine option.

Mercedes' new 3.0-liter turbo I6 engine is available across the board in the E450 models. On its own, this engine makes 362 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, but it's supplemented by Mercedes' EQ-Boost 48-volt mild-hybrid technology, which can add 21 hp and 184 lb-ft as needed. Buyers can choose from the E450 4Matic Sedan ($63,050), E450 Coupe ($66,000), E450 4Matic Coupe ($68,500), E450 Cabriolet ($73,000), E450 4Matic Cabriolet ($75,500) or the new E450 4Matic All-Terrain ($68,650), a lifted version of the E-Class wagon. The latter is super cool -- a worthy competitor to the new Audi A6 Allroad.

A more powerful version of that 3.0-liter straight-six engine is available in the Mercedes-AMG E53 models, with output raised to 429 hp and 384 lb-ft -- before the EQ-Boost assist. The AMG E53 cars get unique suspension tunes, styling cues and interior treatments, as well. The E53 Sedan starts at $74,950, while the E53 Coupe and Cabriolet come in at $77,300 and $83,900, respectively.

2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain is a more rugged wagon

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Finally, there's the top-dog Mercedes-AMG E63 S, which is only available in the E-Class' Sedan and Wagon body styles. The E63 uses the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine as before, though with 603 hp on tap, that's hardly a complaint. These most-powerful E-Class variants are also the most expensive, at $108,550 for the E63 S Sedan and $113,500 for the E63 S Wagon.

Earlier this year, Mercedes-Benz released details about a plug-in hybrid E350e that'll go on sale in Europe. When asked about this version's future in America, a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson told us there are "no announcements regarding the E350e for the US market at this time."

All of the E-Class models look a bit sharper than before and the cars' cabins offer a range of new colors and materials. The big upgrade, though, is on the infotainment tech front, where the E-Class makes the switch to Mercedes' lovely MBUX software, best experienced on a pair of 12.3-inch displays on the dashboard.

The updated E-Class models are expected to arrive in Mercedes-Benz dealerships before the end of the year.

2021 Mercedes-AMG E53 packs an electrified punch

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