Category Archives: Executive

Executive, Mercedes

E stands for exhilarating

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Mercedes Benz E 220

By Bill McCarthy

THERE are some cars that are good looking and yes, some downright ugly and then there are few that are simply stunning.

This latest revised Mercedes falls into the latter category. An E Class yes, but a coupe and a vehicle that the German firm describes it as sensual. I don’t know where they get that idea from, but with its swooping, aerodynamic silhouette it steals the show when parked up.

Like all German executive brands, it is pricey, the range starts £45,520, but it is packed with goodies and technology, particularly with the upmarket AMG styling.

And despite the current downer on diesels, Mercedes are not yet prepared to abandon the oil burners, with this clean two litre version proving lively and extremely economical.

Lively yes, it hits 60mph in seven and a half seconds, but still capable of delivering close to 50mpg.

Design modifications include flatter headlights that include all-LED technology and new diamond grille featuring the ubiquitous three-pronged Mercedes star, while at the rear, the two-piece tail lights, also feature LED technology. It is rounded off with stylish alloy wheels.

The interior cockpit is a high quality affair. The dashboard features a sporty looking open-pore grey ash wood and aluminium with light carbon-fibre grain. Otherwise it is a riot of Nappa leather and chrome inserts together with high-end soft-touch trim to give a real executive feel. Innovations include a new, intelligent steering wheel, the MBUX infotainment system which features augmented reality navigation and two 10.25-inch screens as standard.

Functions are controlled via the touchscreen, the steering wheel or the control pad on the central console, which can be a bit fiddly.

There is plenty of head and legroom despite the coupe shape. It seats four in comfort and despite being a two-door, entry and exit to the rear is pretty straightforward via the huge doors as the powered and heated front seats the slide forward with one touch.

This model is packed with goodies as you would expect with a near £50k car and comes with the KEYLESS-GO Comfort package which 360° camera and parking assist and 19-inch AMG alloy wheels. It also includes smartphone integration via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

On the road, the lack of noise from the power unit belies the fact that it is a diesel. The two-litre engine with an output of 194 hp has little or no engine clatter on start up and once on the move it fairly whispers along. Mated with a nine-speed automatic gearbox, the changes are seamless as the car powers its way to 60mph in just over seven seconds.

It offers three drive modes, for economy, normal or sporty driving. The car sits low off the ground and the ride is soft rather than sporty, with the agility control suspension with selective damping system designed for executive comfort.

Despite being a coupe, it is pretty practical with a large boot which swallows a couple of suitcases comfortably in its 425-litre load bay.

Safety kit includes full complement of airbags, stability programs and features like blind spot assist, active intelligent safety systems like braking that reacts if the driver is unable to do so and an active bonnet for pedestrian safety.

Factfile

Mercedes E 220 d AMG Line Night Edition Coupé Premium Plus

Price: £48,165

Mechanical: 194bhp, 1950cc four cylinder petrol engine rear all wheels via nine-speed automatic transmission

Max speed: 150mph

0-60mph: 7.7 seconds

Combined mpg: 47.9

CO2 emissions: 155g/km

BiK rating: 36%

Insurance group: 34

Warranty: 3yrs/unlimited miles

Audi, Executive, Sports and coupe

Firing up the diesel Audi

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Audi A5 Sportback

By Bill McCarthy

Firing up the Audi, (or Quattro in the case of TV detective Gene Hunt in Life on Mars), is with the press of a button these days,

So if not quite firing up the Quattro, when this Audi fired up I had to double check it was a diesel.

Diesels have had a bit of kicking in the last few years, but are still being produced by executive brands like Audi.

Almost entirely lacking in diesel clatter, but delivering in spades when it comes to economy and low CO2 emissions, they are still a serious option, certainly until 2030 when new sales are due to be phased out. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to drive them after 2030, however, so they are still a longer term option.

The A5 has been around a few years now, a smart, coupe-Like design, disguising loads of space and challenging anything on the road for style.

When it looks that good, revisions need to be subtle and the latest incarnation still features the low, almost predatory stance of the car, but now has a honeycomb grille that is wider and flatter, and ventilation slits which reference, says Audi, the classic Audi Sport quattro from 1984.

Headlights with LED technology come as standard, with Matrix LED headlights available from S line.

The interior is real premium quality with high-end soft-touch finish, paint black inlays with contrasting brushed aluminium trim and leather seats which feature the S-line ’S’ embossed into the head restraint.

It features the 12.3-inch cockpit-style dash, which is customisable via the multi-function steering wheel to three different views while the centrepiece is the touchscreen, which controls major functions like music, navigation and connectivity via smartphone.

In fact, the steering wheel controls have largely replaced the MMI dial on the central console, operating a number of functions.

Also Audi connect infotainment services deliver numerous web-based features such as up-to-the-minute news, Google Earth mapping and Street View and flight, weather, traffic and fuel pricing information.

It is well equipped, with the S Line version offering 19in alloy wheels, Matrix LED headlights, privacy glass,  and stiffer, lowered suspension.

On the road, the car is a very able performer. The 163PS on tap from the two-litre unit propels the car to 60mph in a very respectable eight seconds, as it slips seamlessly through the seven-speed auto transmission.

The suspension in all A5 models has been tuned with an underlying emphasis on comfort but also an appropriately sporting bias, which delivers a thoroughly enjoyable driving experience, especially on tight, twisting roads. It is pretty frugal as well, with a real-world economy of around 50mpg.

It may look like a coupe, but there is still a generous amount of storage space, with 465 litres available which expands to a pretty cavernous, for the type of car, 1,300 litres with the rear seats folded.

In typical Audi style, it also boasts the latest hi-tech safety kit, from full suite of airbags to stability control, parking sensors, daytime running lights, assisted braking and pre-collision mitigation.

Quiet, powerful and frugal, the diesel is still a player.

Factfile

Audi A5 Sportback 35 TDI S tronic (163PS)

Price: £45,599

Mechanical: 163PS, 1968cc, 4-cylinder diesel engine driving front wheel via 7-speed S tronic auto transmission

Max Speed: 130mph

0-62mph: 8.2 seconds

Combined MPG: 51.4

Insurance Group: TBC

C02 emissions: 144g/km

Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles