Mercedes-Benz E 450 d – estate of grace

SUVs may be the reigning kings of the automotive world but they will never match the low-slung elegance of a smartly designed estate car – nor it’s expansive carrying capacity.

In keeping with just about every other category of the car market you can pick up an estate for very modest money, or splash out on something with real class, quality and distinction.

Falling into the latter bracket is the estate version of the heralded Mercedes-Benz E-Class, sought after by company directors or those with deep pockets due to its combination of luxury, comfort, tech and practicality.

If estates now lack the popularity of old, the same can also be said of diesel engines – to the point that some manufacturers have given up the ghost on them altogether.

But not Mercedes-Benz. In fact the 3.0-litre six cylinder unit in our tested E 450 d estate is an absolute cracker, delivering a hefty 367bhp for a 0-62mph acceleration time of bang on five seconds with the potential for a top speed of 155mph.

Add a smooth as silk nine-speed automatic gearbox, the German brand’s 4MATIC all-wheel drive set-up, self-levelling air suspension and a touch of mild hybrid assistance to the equation and you have a sweet-travelling conveyance that’s good for an average 40 miles per gallon.

Pretty impressive for a car that keeps progressively digging deeper as you press the throttle yet at no time feeling in any way unsettled. Everything happens seamlessly, smoothly and with precision.

It’s just the most lovely, beautifully engineered and refined vehicle to drive or be carried in, and one that absorbs road impressions or bumps with ease.

Then there’s the premium bit. As an Exclusive Premium Plus model you’re talking top of the trim tree and the elevated price point that comes with it, in this case a few bob north of ninety grand.

It comes oozing with luxury tech, like quilted and ventilated massaging Nappa leather seats that are electrically adjustable with heated armrests, open pore maple wood trim, 21-inch AMG alloys, acoustic glass and a Burmester 4D Surround Sound system.

And that’s just the start. Ambient lighting strings its way round the perimeter and the air con has a fragrant scent in a cabin with sufficient space to stretch the longest of legs, though there’s only realistically room for two adults in the back.

There’s a third rear seatbelt but a centre passenger would not only find their position perched but also have to splay their legs either side of the transmission tunnel.

As for tech there’s plenty of it, the driver able to access a multimedia system with 14.4-inch display as well as a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster while a Superscreen extension – filtered out of the driver’s view – enables a front seat passenger to take selfies and run social media apps.

You also get kit like remote smartphone charging, a panoramic sliding glass sunroof, a parking package with 360-degree reversing camera and Active Park Assist, blind spot and traffic sign assist plus a head-up display, though a trailer coupling costs an extra £695. There’s also a full suite of safety features like auto emergency braking and lane-keeping assist.

Of course the idea of an estate car is to provide sufficient space for carrying a shedload of gear with ease, comfort and balance, and in the case of the E-Class Estate there’s a vast if quite shallow load area.

The boot, accessed via a powered tailgate, measures 615 litres stretching to a whopping 1,830 litres with the rear seats folded down while for extra stowage there are options around the cabin including a pair of deep central cubbies and large door bins.