Ratings: W213 2021 Mercedes-Benz E300 AMG Line facelift - So good, it feels all-new

When it comes to executive sedans in Malaysia, a few models come to mind. You have Munich's BMW 5 Series, and Stuttgart represents with the E-Klasse. We'll be taking a look at the latter today, specifically the facelifted (W213) 2021 Mercedes-Benz E300 AMG Line.

The E-Class is locally-assembled (CKD Pekan, Pahang), and a brief overview of both models sold here are as below:

As usual, all scores and judgements here are relative to the E300's segment and not the new car market as a whole.

2021 Mercedes-Benz E300: Driving Performance - 35/50, Quick and powerful

It's easy to see how one might think this E300 as an all-new model, that's how much better this facelifted W213 is.

The M264 isn't the newest – a prefacelift leftover, superseded in some markets by the mild-hybrid M254 – but really, there isn't much to complain about. Power is abundant, but it's clear that the four-pot prioritises smoothness. Still, call upon it and it will pin your head to the headrest.

It's enough to make you ignore the hoo-ha about how an E-Class needs a bigger engine under the hood. What it has now is commendably smooth and hushed, a great companion for eating up the many kilometres of long distance travel.

Paired to it is a 9-speed automatic transmission (9GTRONIC, in Mercedes' parlance). For the most part it's fantastic, playing to the strengths of the engine, but it does get indecisive once in a while. When this happens, it'll hunt for gears before settling on one with an uncharacteristic clunk.

A minor blemish on what is an adept transmission for most of the time.

It's fine for pootling around town, but in 'Comfort' or 'Eco', there's a certain sense of lag. Selecting 'Sport' mode sharpens it up somewhat, and so some may be inclined to keep it here for the perkier response.

The E300's passive-adaptive dampers work in a way where comfort and ride quality are not affected by switching driving modes. Instead, it makes automatic, minute adjustments as you drive, in the interest of keeping things comfortable.

It's got a nifty variable ratio steering too, which picks up pace rather progressively, coherent to the car's handling characteristics.

Braking performance is top notch, with a very grabby feel. The pedal is easy to modulate, and they give you the confidence at higher speeds. At least on the driving aspect, this is a car that wants and helps you to drive smoothly, which is something your passengers will thank you for as well.

2021 Mercedes-Benz E300 AMG Line: Ride Comfort - 36.5/50, Smooth operator

If it's something more of a 'driver's car' you're looking for, then the E-Class's résumé might not look as enticing as a 5 Series'. What the E300 majors in is smoothening your journeys, slipping through the air while you remain undisturbed.

Standard on the E300 AMG Line is the aforementioned passive-adaptive Agility Control suspension setup. Compared to the pre-facelift, this E300's ride is decidely calmer, effortlessly easing you over 90% of common pockmarks and undulations.

The remaining 10% of deep potholes and sharp road imperfections will still jolt the cabin, but they have to be particularly terrible. Otherwise, the effects can be somewhat negated by driving slower.

Space is par for the course of this class of cars, and the panoramic sunroof helps to increase the airiness in the cabin.

2021 Mercedes Benz E300 AMG Line: Interior space – 32/50, Oodles of space

Short of the lounge that is the S-Class, the E-Class offers the respectable space expected from a car of this stature. Dimensions are unchanged from the pre-facelift, so if you've been in one of those, it's more of the same.

Seat adjustability is practically unlimited, with ways to tailor thigh, lumbar, and side support, among others through the door-mounted controls.

Though there's oodles of space for passengers, the driver's side is a bit iffy. The offset driving position (more on that later) results in a borderline-claustrophobic driver's footwell.

As far as space for rear occupants go, there's about two-and-some tennis balls worth of legroom and two tennis balls of headroom for an 177 cm tall adult.

For things, there's the usual cupholders, a rather large centre armest, medium-sized door cards, a sunglasses holder and a nifty covered storage area just below the centre console.

Pop open the powered boot and there's 540 litres of bootspace with the rear seats up. More space can be afforded by folding away the rear seats, but rather annoyingly this can't be done from inside the car - you'll have to get outside every time you need to do this.

2021 Mercedes-Benz E300 AMG Line: Quality and Features – 45/50, Quite complete

The W213 facelift brings with it a completely new look, which – as with almost any other car's design – can get polarising. Some like the smoother lines, but there are others who beg to differ by saying the C-, S- and this E-Class all look the same now.

Regardless on what's your take on things, build quality of the E300 is tight in all the right places.

The E300's AMG Line garb brings with it Multibeam LED headlights, more aggressive bumpers, a studded grille, and 19-inch AMG wheels.

Stepping into the interior is an occasion everytime, even better at night with the fully-customisable ambient lighting turned on.

The E300 AMG Line gets Nappa leather upholstery, black open-pored ash wood trim, and an Artico man-made leather-lined dashboard.

Amenities in the E300 include a wireless charger, triple-zone climate control, a powered sunblind for the rear window, a panoramic sunroof, and the great sports steering wheel.

What's shared between the two E-Class variants sold in Malaysia is the expansive, delightfully high-resolution Widescreen Cockpit.

Comprised of two 12.3-inch widescreen displays, one is for driver instrumentation while the other touchscreen is for infotainment and everything else.

Screen quality is top notch, and so is the software - the infotainment system is much more smoother to use than in the pre-facelift. However, it's not without its foibles as well.

Most have got to do with ergonomics and ease of use. For one, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay doesn't run in full screen, which takes away from the otherwise grand sense of occasion.

Then, the user interface is still poor as simple things like skipping songs can't be done through single touches on the steering wheel.

Instead, you'll have to use either:

• Voice command

• Jabbing at the screen while driving

• Using the haptic buttons on the steering wheel like a mouse, which means it's easy to click the wrong thing entirely

That, and some panels that creak with pressure, dent an otherwise pixel-perfect interior.

Another issue persists in this W213 facelift, and it's the noticeably skewed seating position. You don't sit very straight, as your feet points towards the right, as a result of the steering's slightly left-leaning offset.

Yes, it's easy to get used to it over time, but such a twisted driving position can cause ironically cause discomfort during long-distance drives.

Meanwhile, the E300 AMG Line safety arsenal is made up of these functions:

• 360° camera
• Active Parking Assist with PARKTRONIC
• Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
• Active Brake Assist
• Active Lane Keeping Assist
• Active Blind Spot Assist
• Adaptive brake lights

2021 Mercedes-Benz E300 AMG Line: Fuel consumption – 13/20, Rather thristy

After driving around for 109.3 km through mixed driving conditions – equally split between spirited and sedate, highways and cities – the E300 returned 9.9-litre/100 km.

2021 Mercedes-Benz E300 AMG Line: Purchase and cost – 19/30, Middle ground

As tested, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E300 AMG Line starts from RM 375,432, which is a RM 49k premium over the E200 Avantgarde.

Among its competitors, it sits in between the hybrid Volvo S90 T8 Inscription Plus (RM 339,314) and BMW 530i (RM 395,800, with extended service package).

Meanwhile, the table below shows an estimation of how much it'll cost to maintain one over five years:

Like other models in Mercedes-Benz Malaysia's stable, the E300 gets a four-year warranty, although there are paid options to extend that by another two years as well.

2021 Mercedes-Benz E300 AMG Line: Conclusion – 180.5/250 pts overall

To sum it up, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E300 AMG Line facelift is one to have rekindled the mojo of what a good ol' E-Class should be. It looks the part, it's techy, and finally it has a much improved drive as an icing on the cake.

Also read: Review: W213 2021 Mercedes-Benz E300 - A facelift shouldn't be this much better