E-Class coupe Geneva star

We've already seen the pics (more here) and the facts and figures were still thin on Switzerland's frozen ground, but there's little doubt the production car star of the 2009 Salon International de l'Automobile Geneve 2009 was the all-new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe.

Geneva was the debut for the new full-size coupe. Indeed, while there were press previews of the new four-door E-Class at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January (more here), the Swiss show was also the first official public appearance for the W212 sedan.

The E-Class range was not the main message from Mercedes at Geneva. It was the only one. On the opening day, save for one Stirling Moss SLR and a historical display of previous E-Class segment Mercedes models, Es monopolised the German marque's entire stand. It also eclipsed the nearby Maybach and Smart stands.

And while we're still not entirely convinced the sedan isn't a touch too 'eastern' in appearance for our liking, we're confident in saying the two-door's revised proportions and svelte detailing stole the show at Geneva.

Mercedes-Benz's worldwide head Dr Dieter Zetsche and styling chief Gorden Wagener did the honours launching the car to the show crowd; the latter championing the design elements of the new model. But as well as the subjective, the company was on the front foot regarding the coupe's objective credentials. The new executive coupe arrived at Geneva with a claim of fuel economy figures that better 50mpg (5.3L/100km), yet also able to deliver 500Nm performance.

The E-Class Coupe replaces the CLK in the Benz line-up. The Geneva unveiling marks the return of a two-door to the E-Class line-up for the first time since 1995-96.

Every inch the bold new Benz, amazingly, the full-size coupe also boasts the lowest drag coefficient of any production car in the world. With a cd of 0.24, the two-door slips through the air more efficiently than the just-released third-generation Toyota Prius and Honda Insight.

Whether the E-Class coupe is built on an all-E platform or whether it combines C and E-Class componentry is still not clear. Certainly the dimensions of the car look close to that of the sedan when they are parked side by side. We're hoping to clear up these details when the Carsales Network attends the international launch of the E-Class sedan in Spain later this week.

We can confirm, however, that, like the sedan, the coupe will offer a range of turbodiesel, and turbo and naturally-aspirated petrol powerplants.

There'll be no C 220 CDI, but the 150kW/500Nm twin-turbo 250 CDI will be coming Down Under and will deliver sub-5.5L/100km combined mileage. There will be V6 and V8 petrol engines offered. Meantime, the base engine for the coupe range will be in new 250CGI direct-injection turbocharged petrol powerplant. All engines are matched to seven-speed automatic transmissions.

Mercedes claims a significant increase in space over the old CLK-Class two-door for the new E. Overall the car is 46mm longer and wider than the CLK. Inside this translates to an increase in the couple distance (the dimension between front and rear seat hip points) of 10mm. Elbow width has been boosted 49mm, Benz claims.

The cabin is based on that of the four-door, but gets coupe-specific detailing including new front seats that feature an easy-entry function that Mercedes-Benz says improves access to and from the rear seats. A four (rather than five) seater, the coupe's practicality is improved thanks to folding rear seats that allow load-through from the boot.

All of the new safety technology outlined for the W212 E-Class sedan will also make its way into the two-door. This includes features such as: Distronic Plus dynamic cruise control paired with brake assist and Pre-Safe Braking; night vision; high beam, lane departure and blind spot assist functions, and Attention Assist which alerts the driver to his or her fatigue level. The full complement of Mercedes' Pre-Safe and active safety systems underpin the package.

As noted previously, the new E-Class coupes will debut alongside the sedan Down Under at mid-year.

Mercedes will unveil the convertible/cabriolet version of the new E-Class, plus a wagon variant, in the northern hemisphere autumn -- almost certainly at the Frankfurt motor show.