Hamburg - Calling all company car users and well-heeled family fathers - the all-new E-class from Mercedes-Benz is as solid and reliable as customers of this marque expect, with a host of clever electronic trickery and greener engines too.

The new limousine also goes a long way towards restoring the model's tarnished reputation for durability after some irksome quality control slip-ups in the past.

According to Mercedes, the brief for revamping the luxury saloon with the familiar four-headlamp layout was simple but ambitious: "We wanted to create the best car in its class," said development chief Thomas Weber.

The result is a handsome, slightly chunkier-looking E-class with a host of innovative driver aids and safety features. The interior has been transformed into a comfort zone par excellence and the power units are more frugal on fuel.

Such motoring refinement has its price and so the basic model costs much the same as it did before at 41,590 euros
(54,749 dollars). The new E-Class has already gone on sale in Germany and will be available in other markets over the next few months.

Few buyers will drive away from the showroom with the standard model, but opt instead for many of the extras contained in a 40-page booklet. Even the ashtray and a cup holder must be paid for separately but that is unlikely to irritate this car's traditional clientele.

The luxury and solid feel is what will sell the new generation E- class and this is palpable from the moment the doors shut. The sumptuous front seats boast excellent lumbar adjustment and the driver finds himself in an aura of comfort and relaxation. The noise and stress of everyday life is shut out and you almost expect a voice from the off to whisper "welcome home" - one of the maker's advertising slogans for the car.

The well-balanced chassis, ambient interior lighting and tasteful selection of textiles and other surface materials contribute to this impression. There is also a small army of driver aids on board. One of the gadgets ensures the car does not get dangerously close to those ahead while a lane-keeping system sounds an alert, if the limousine wanders inadvertently across the median white line.

An extra safety package costs even more and includes an infrared camera which warns of oncoming pedestrians. Even the main beam throw of the headlamps adjusts automatically to the presence of other vehicles.

The E-class is a serene cruiser on the motorway, but it does baulk a little at being hurried around the corners. The handling makes the car feel lighter than before yet the equivalent models from rivals BMW and Audi are noticeably more agile.

The E-class engines with Blue Efficiency technology have been made leaner and more economical to satisfy the green-minded and this will no doubt soothe many an owner's conscience. Despite the overall downsizing, the range of power units still includes a 388-horsepower V6.

However, the 170-bhp 220 CDI tested here is the entry level model of choice. It returns a respectable 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres in the EU combined cycle, generating CO2 emissions of 139 grams.

While no slouch, the turbo diesel cannot perform miracles. The four-cylinder unit delivers a useful 400 Newton metres of torque and sporting use of the six-speed automatic transmission will allow the 1.8-tonne limousine accelerate to
100 kilometres an hour/62 mph in a respectable nine seconds. Top speed is given as 231 km/h.

Not all the engines offered are as harmonious as the described compact diesel, but the new E-class is so far the best of the breed. It sets a new standard in the class although individuality and emotion are to be found elsewhere. This limousine will appeal to broad conservative tastes, making it a kind of upmarket VW Golf for the motorist with more to spend.

Key data on the Mercedes E 220 CDI: Engine layout: Four cylinder, common-rail diesel; Capacity: 2,143 ccm; Max. power: 170 bhp; Rear- wheel drive; Transmission: Six-speed gearbox; Length: 4,868 mm; Width: 1,854 mm; Height:
1,464 mm; Wheelbase: 2,874 mm; Kerb weight: 1.735 kg; Top speed: 231 km/h; Acceleration: 0-100 km/h in 9,2 s; Average fuel consumption: 5.3 litres per 100 km; CO2 emissions: 139 grams/km. (dpa)