Mercedes-Benz have made a name for themselves in the luxury car market. The brand is synonymous with quality and luxury as well as some of the most innovative safety features used now as everyday standard requirements.

The new E-Class remains true to the brand — the feeling behind the wheel of a luxury Merc is very unique in comparison to other car manufacturers. You get the feeling in the new range that you've reached the top of your game and got the car to match the executive lifestyle.

It has the ability to make you feel like money — everything inside is pristine, smooth and built to have a high quality feel. It's silent as it wafts along the road, never jerky or taut, simply precise in a manner not meant for the track but for an accurate comfortable ride.

The Benz engineers have developed a whole host of intricate gadgetry for this car, most based on the safety side, especially in preventing the accident itself. Just consider the drowsiness detection: a system that detects up to 70 signs that the driver could be falling asleep, warning the driver via a loud noise and severe steering vibration that it might be time to take a break.

Automatic emergency braking will work in the detection of an imminent accident and apply the brakes for you from up to 200m away using the built in radar detection system. It will even bring the car to a complete stop if necessary.

Not enough? In the event of a collision, Pre-Safe will send triggers to various systems that they need to prepare for an accident. So seat belts are tensioned, headrests moved to minimise whiplash. The new lighting features are also a nice touch, automatically switching from high beam to dip beam when an oncoming vehicle is detected by the radar system.

But possibly the most attractive feature of the E-Class is how it looks Especially the coupe looks sleek and smooth, with a well-toned rear that looks good as you swoosh by just about anything with the range of engines that include the E500 5.5-litre naturally aspirated beast that isn't fased by any sort of situation.

Expect the diesel models to make an entry to the market later this year, with the BlueEFFICIENCY fuel economic system.

Pricing:
E200 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY: R471 000 (Oct 2009 introduction)
E250 CDI: R496 000 (Oct 2009 introduction)
E350 CDI: R617 000 (Oct 2009 introduction)
E300: R558 000
E350: R634 000
E500: R788 000
E300 Launch Edition: R591 000