You can’t drive down the road anywhere in America without seeing SUVs, crossovers, and other things that trace their heritage back to off-roaders only about as much as we trace our genetic makeup back to monkeys.
Into this world, while every other automaker, darn near, has given over entirely to the almighty SUV and crossover, Mercedes, the company that invented the automobile, offers a sedan. Several sedans. And a bunch of coupes, convertibles, roadsters, and wagons, too.
We should all kneel down, or at least genuflect in reflective contemplation if not an outright Danke Schoen to Mercedes for just giving us options that are not crossover utility vehicles.
Among the six sedans, five coupes, two convertibles, one roadster and a wagon in the Mercedes fleet right now is our subject car, the new 2024 E-Class sedan.
VIEW PHOTOSMercedes-Benz
Note the freshened front end on the new E.
“There’s still a market out there for sedans,” said Paul Harmon, Mercedes product manager for the E-Class (and a bunch of other cars).
It’s still there, like print magazines and bundled cable television. A little over 20 years ago the E-Class sedan was selling almost 200,000 units a year in the US. That number has steadily declined, with a bump up every time there was a new model cycle. The figure last year was 17,075, if you include the CLS.
So it’s not a big market, but it’s at least profitable for Mercedes and, as I said, we should all be grateful the option still exists. It won’t be long until we’re all going to be packed off in autonomous internet-connected infotainment bathtub electric cocoon pods that we can’t drive at all. So enjoy these days while you still can!
The 3.0-liter engine in the E 450 4MATIC is revised as well, with 13 hp more than the outgoing E-Class (375 hp vs. 362 hp). Despite the modest increase in power, the new E 450 4MATIC accelerates from 0 to 60 mph significantly quicker than its predecessor, taking 4.4 seconds to 60 vs. 4.9 seconds.
At a stop, I was able to enjoy a game of Angry Birds from the driver’s seat.
The mild hybrid is made up of an integrated starter/generator that resides inside the transmission housing to make the gas engine more efficient. The 48-volt system knows when to glide, boost, and recover energy.
Both E-Class models come standard with Mercedes’ 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system.
To keep it all in line there are four links in the suspension at each front wheel and five at each rear. Controlling movement at each corner is a combined spring and damper unit, but if you get the Technology Package you’ll get the AIRMATIC air suspension system with Mercedes’ ADS+ continuously adjustable damping and rear-axle steering.
VIEW PHOTOSCourtesy Mercedes-Benz
The Superscreen will keep everyone informed and entertained.
The steering angle at the rear is 4.5 degrees, which reduces the sedan’s turning circle by up to 35.4 inches, over three feet, which makes a difference when turning around in my street.
How does it feel behind the wheel? It carries the Mercedes tradition of combining luxury with controlled sportiness into 2024. I drove it for a while around city and suburban streets first. There you’ll appreciate the ginormous and appropriately named Superscreen infotainment extravaganza that was on my E 450.
At a stop, I was able to enjoy a game of Angry Birds from the driver’s seat. Under way, your front-seat passenger can play the same game on the section of Superscreen that greets them, without you seeing it. A camera detects the front seat passenger and opens the right side of the Superscreen.
The electric vehicle (EV) market reached 1.56 million EV sales and a 10% sales share of all light-duty vehicles in 2024. By 2024, a third of automakers offered at least nine EV models, but most growth in model availability occurred in 2021 and 2022. Few new models were introduced in 2023 and 2024, and most were priced above $55,000. The EV market, which consists of battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, increased from 2% of new light-duty vehicle sales in 2020 to 10% in 2024.
Figure 1. Sales of battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in the United States, 2020–2024
Sales by automaker
In 2024, non-Tesla EV sales grew by 20% compared with 2023, reaching about 960,000 and continuing a trend of automakers other than Tesla collectively gaining a larger share of the new EV market. However, as the top EV seller, Tesla’s 5% decrease in sales in 2024 slowed the growth rate of the overall EV market. The resulting market share of EVs increased by about 0.4% compared with 2023. Among legacy automakers, only Volkswagen and Stellantis posted net decreases in new EV sales in 2024, while BMW and Mercedes-Benz both saw virtually no change in their 2024 EV sales compared with 2023. All legacy automakers except Volkswagen and Stellantis had their best year for EV sales in 2024 and collectively grew their EV sales by 20%.
Figure 2. U.S. sales of electric vehicles by automaker, excluding Tesla, 2011–2024
Model availability
Model availability grew from under 20 in 2012 to nearly 130 in 2024, which mirrors the growth in annual EV sales.
In 2020, automakers offered nine or fewer EV models. By 2024, a third of automakers offered at least nine models, and two thirds offered three or more models. However, most of this growth happened in 2021 and 2022, with most automakers offering only one additional model or fewer in 2023 and 2024. Less than one quarter of all 2024 models and subconfigurations were EVs. For cars, EVs made up about 18% of all models. Electric pickup models accounted for 20% of all pickups, and about a quarter of all SUV models were EVs.
Around 3% of EV models available in 2024 were offered below $35,000 (before purchase incentives), 34% of EV models were offered at prices between $35,000 and $55,000, and 64% of models were offered above $55,000. In contrast, among combustion vehicles, 16% of models were priced $35,000 or less, 48% were between $35,000 and $55,000, and 36% of models were more than $55,000.
Figure 3. Annual electric vehicle sales and number of available electric vehicle models in the United States, 2012–2024
Future product plans
Many automakers have announced plans to expand their EV offerings, with at least 25 non-luxury EV models slated for arrival in 2025–2028. At least 25 more luxury offerings are also planned.
Seven automakers selling in the United States have EV sales targets of at least 50% by 2030. Four automakers that collectively represented over 30% of the U.S. market in 2024 have committed to 100% EV sales by 2035. Several other automakers have committed to lesser levels of EV sales shares in 2030 and 2035. From 2020 to 2024, EV sales averaged 47% growth annually. The average annual rate of EV growth needed to meet the commitments are 26% for 2024–2030 and 19% for 2024–2035.
Table 1. Upcoming non-luxury electric models of passenger vehicles
