Mercedes-Benz is on a roll lately with the new A-Class, CLA, C-Class, S-Class sedan and Coupe and the GLE Coupe, and now, it’s preparing a brand new E-Class as well.

Once Mercedes’ biggest source of income, the next E-Class, codenamed W213, will bring a raft of new features to the table, including fresh tech, a lighter chassis and surprisingly, straight-six engines to fight off the BMW 5-Series, Jaguar XF, Lexus GS and other rivals.

The testers are still under heavy camouflage with fake prosthetics on both ends, but it seems that the W213 will evolve the exterior design of the current model adding touches from the well-received C-Class and S-Class saloons.

Previous spy shots reveal that the interior will be overhauled with the styling heavily borrowing from the bigger S-Class, right up to the circular air-vents and large infotainment screen controlled via the COMAND rotary switch on the lower console that will get all the latest connectivity updates.

The saloon is expected to keep a similar footprint to the current W212, though it will have a slightly longer wheelbase to increase legroom for the rear passengers. It will ride on longer and wider version of the brand’s MRA (Mercedes Rear-wheel Architecture) found under the latest C-Class, which uses aluminum in its construction to reduce weight.

Powering the E-Class will be a new generation of modular engines with the big news being the reintroduction of straight-six petrol and diesel engines, albeit fitted with turbochargers. On the lower end of the range, we’ll find four-cylinder turbocharged units, while on the other side, force-fed V8s topped by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with close to 600hp for the E63 AMG. These engines will be equipped with a nine-speed automatic transmission driving the rear or all-four wheels. The new platform will also allow for the use of plug-in hybrid powertrains.

Aside from the E-Class sedan that will arrive in 2016, the range will include a Station Wagon, a Coupe, and a Convertible.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops

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