Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain 4×4²: Off-Road Pioneer

16 April 2019 Redazione News, Tested

MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ALL-TERRAIN 4×4²

OFF-ROAD PIONEER

Words by Richi Makie

As in the best fairy tales, adventures undertaken by chance are those that turn out to be the best, if only for the simple fact that they are able to make us hold on to that desire to dream and let go those rational stakes that force us to hold tight on reality. Mercedes is constantly at the forefront as far as the production of any sort of car, starting from the ideal companion for life in the city – the Smart ForTwo – up to avant-garde projects that bring hybrid and just electric technology within the reach of a future always closer. Among them there are half a hundred models that range from every possible variant – and then there’s the E-Class All-Terrain 4×4². Produced – at least for the moment – as a sole specimen, thanks to the volcanic mind of engineer Jürgen Eberle, who has committed 6 months of his time in perfecting a mechanic partly introduced with another Mercedes branded madness, the G-Class 4X4².

Based on the most rational E-Class All-Terrain, it is a perfectly marching and finished prototype, so as to have a complete cockpit equipped with all the items you can find on the counterpart that can be purchased from your trusted dealer. What radically changes the nature of this estate under amphetamines is the presence of portal axles, the real ingredient that allows it to tackle extreme terrains, but above all to grab a unique look that is certainly nothing short of crazy. We’re talking about a different arrangement of the axles, the mechanical connection that links the left wheels to those on the right. In this case, the support is not in line with the center of the wheel, but raised to the advantage of a better ground clearance and the ability to overcome obstacles that in 99% of cases you would not dream of facing even with a real off-roader. By virtue of this substantial change, the height from the ground of Eberle’s creation passes from the 16 centimeters of the starting version to a full 42 centimeters. Obviously to accommodate this new type of structure and make it usable, we find new suspensions (which maintain the possibility of regulating their rigidity), new rims and dedicated off-road tires, which fill the larger wheel arches with new protective profiles, wider and more showy than before.

Sure that this singular engineering effort is arousing interest in you, know that the wading depth goes from 28cm to 50cm, while the All-Terrain 4X4² – also called E-AT² – turns out to be perfectly skilled even on a paved road, less complicated than the mammoth G-Class cousin. The engine is a 3-liter V6 with 330 horsepower, useful for moving this “vehicle” from 0 to 100 kph in just 7 seconds. What radically changes is the approach at the wheel, even if for the moment it is not a problem that we will have to ask ourselves, given that Mercedes is still evaluating (or maybe not) any limited production. The height is not in fact the only increased size, but the width now reaches 2 meters and 10cm, making its movements more challenging than before. There is a 9-speed automatic transmission and everything you need for a perfect coexistence 365 days a year, as mentioned, the E-AT² is fully functional and complete in all its parts, demonstrating how in a period in which you must necessarily look at the evolution and improvement of less polluting engines, it is still possible to put one’s creativity and one’s desire to face new challenges into play, sometimes even for their own sake.

Summing up the E-Class All-Terrain 4×4² is a pure engineering exercise, another goal scored by the three-pointed star, but none of us can buy it. What is it for then? First and foremost, as also stated by good old engineer Eberle, it is a manifesto capable of attracting young engineers to a brand that shows the possibility and above all the desire to develop ideas and solutions that in one way or another could still see application on more traditional models. And then let’s face it, these exaggerated cars far more than superfluous, manage to awaken us from that torpor to which the automotive industry too often seems getting used to. As long as there are such projects, there will be the desire to surprise, to make one’s voice heard. And if they ever produce it – even if in a limited series – I would be one of those who would be there drooling and imagining to leave the main road, looking for some crazy adventure.