DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Mercedes backflips on E-Class

Mercedes-Benz has back-flipped and declared its fifth-generation E-Class sedan will come to Australia with the full suite of ‘Drive Pilot’ autonomous capabilities and the legal right to have almost all of them operational after all.

At yesterday’s global reveal in Detroit, Mercedes-Benz Australia-Pacific Senior Manager -- Public Relations, Product and Corporate Communications David McCarthy told Australian media the new E-Class’ ground-breaking ability to run for extended periods and overtake hands-free would probably not be allowed in Australia until 2017, around six months after its launch.

But after a flurry of communications between MBAP and the federal Department of Transport and Regional Services (DoTaRS) overnight, it has now been confirmed new E-Class owners will be able to access those features from the start of local sales around mid-year.

However, the ability to remote park the car via a smartphone app will not be allowed, as is already the case with the newly introduced BMW 7 Series.

McCarthy explained the clarifications obtained in the last 24 hours made clear that the ongoing harmonisation of Australian regulations with Europe cleared the way for Drive Pilot – which will be known as 'driver assistance package plus' in Australia – to be used here.

“The latest discussions with DoTaRS indicates it [Drive Pilot] will be approved for sale in Australia,” confirmed McCarthy.

“The rider on this is the federal government regulates the cars and you can’t register a car without a compliance plate.

“Some state police forces have different views on different things ... but the federal government has primacy.

“The caution I am putting in here is if a particular state police department says ‘you re not in control of the vehicle’ there could be some discussion on it.

“But the latest information we have now – overnight – is that because it is approved for sale in Europe there should be no impediment to the cars having it here.”

The fundamentally new fifth-generation W123 E-Class broke cover in Detroit late Sunday in the US. While the local on-sale date was given as June yesterday, the car's Australian launch timing has now been widened to a June-August window.