Hi. In April of 2018 I received a 2019 E-Class ordering guide from my dealer. I planned to submit an order in May of 2018 for a 2019 E-Class, which would include the safety and comfort features my wife and I specifically want. The 2019 ordering guide noted planned changes, the primary of which was the introduction of the EQ technology along with a supplemental 48 volt electric system. During this May, based on a post from this forum, I found out that MB had cancelled this roll-out and would be keeping the current setup for 2019. To-date, after considerable searching, include via this forum, I haven't been able to find out why this change-in-plans has come about. I've been in contact with three separate MB dealers. Each has said that they are equally surprised by this change, and all stated that they found out about the plans shortly after receiving sales training on the 2019 models, with the EQ/48 volt technology.

Does anyone have factual information, sourced from MB, on why this change came about?

Isn't the EQ E450 still planned for 2019? I thought it was only the E350 that was nixed.

I was under the impression … initially at least … the "EQ"/48volt technology was being restricted to the new inline sixes which will be found in the E53 models. I'm unaware of anything regarding the EQ/48volt technology being applied to the allegedly more powerful twin-turbo V-6's which are behind given the E450 model designation. This seems to be confirmed by the online Car and Driver article from 5/24, which states:

"Such electric trickery won’t make its way to the 2019 Mercedes-Benz E450, however. The company notes that both the E450 and the four-cylinder E300 will benefit from new comfort and convenience features including new interior trim options, a redesigned three-spoke steering wheel that includes spoke-mounted buttons for many of the car’s active-safety features, and a fresh set of 19-inch wheels that will be available with the Night package and its attendant black exterior accents."

but then again I could be wrong ...

The original 2019 E-Class dealer order sheet that I got from the dealer in mid-April 2018 showed that both the E350 and E450 would have the EQ tech, along with the 48 volt system. The revised 2019 E-Class dealer order sheet that I received from the dealer (a) eliminated the EQ/48 volt stuff from both cars, (b) kept the E300 engine the same as in 2017 and (c) changed the E400 to an E450 with a "new" 3.0L V6 biturbo engine (but with NO mention of EQ or a 48 volt system). Based on this, my guess is that the 2019 E450 does not have the EQ/48 volt tech.

I've attached a few pages of my April (original) 2019 dealer-provided order sheet. It clearly showed that the E350, E350 4Matic and E450 4Matic would all be available with the EQ tech. The updated ordering sheet just lists the E300, with the same engine, and the E400 replaced with the E450, ... with a new V6 engine, but not with EQ/48 volt. Confusing.

could have been an error on the part of the brochure printer … I recall reading on each/every MB dealer website that the '18 E-Class coupes came with DVD/CD capability … all provided by some entity paid by MB to populate their websites … while in fact what they had done was to take the lazy route and copy/paste the information from the outgoing '17 models and populated the '18 MY details. not the first time a manufacturer has changed their minds.

I don't think anyone here actually knows the reason for this change. We can only speculate... My guess is that they either couldn't produce these at the needed scale, or they didn't want to make such a radical change everywhere and bet all models on this new technology. Instead, they are introducing it more gradually - E53, CLS53, CLS450, and then others.

I only sent a few pages of the 2019 E-Class ordering guide. The original PDF exceeds the file size allowed by this site. Also, I just sent what pertained to the EQ/48 volt topic. Sorry.

Am i right to say the c300 is getting a superior engine to the e300

CaptainE, I planned to order the E-300 sedan, with the luxury package, package 3, and contour/designo seats. I typically buy-and-hold my cars. Above all, I wanted to get a car with best-in-class safety features, which the E-Class clearly delivers on. In addition, I need to maximize comfort for medical reasons, at a price point that makes sense for me. However, I think the current 4 cylinder engine setup is over priced for the value it provides, under-powered relative to the car's weight, and doesn't have a demonstrable improvement on fuel economy from the prior E-350 (and, as an aside, I'm exasperated about MB's decision to eliminate the spare tire and go with the costly PAX run-flats ... IMO MB sometimes feels compelled to over-engineer things that worked perfectly fine in the past). I may wait until next year to see what MB's latest plans are, and if they can deliver on what they say. For now, I may stick with my Lexus.

CaptionE. Not sure what your car buying objectives are relative to the E. For me it's safety and comfort. For others, they may want a lot more power and a "sporty" ride feel. I may not be totally correct on this, but my perception is that the higher up the food chain you go with the E-Class, the more it leans towards the "performance" side of the scale. Definitely should take an extensive test ride before deciding what to purchase.

I also think the E450 is the sweet spot. It's only a little more expensive than the E300, and has the right amount of power/torque. I never understood the strategy with the E43/E53 - not sure why they're even bothering in North America where you can get a better-equipped BMW M550i with a V8TT for less money (significantly less with discounts). The E53 makes a bit more sense in Europe and China.

Any idea when the pricing for the E450 will be out? I am replacing my 2016 E350 4matic which is on lease. Demoed the E300 Sport Style and while it was “peppy” it was not “powerful and smooth”. I fully understand MB wanting to sell the 4 cylinders for CAFÉ and it permits them to sell more S Classes, but when you are paying north of $65,000 I believe the engine should match the price. The E300 with less than 250 hp does not seem right in a $65,000 car. The E350 4 matic would have been perfect – great combination of performance and efficiency. Shame it will not be here as a 2019 model.

I heard July because that's when the first batch will be hitting customs.

I doubt it will be significantly more than the E400.