New 2024 E-Class soon to arrive in Korea, land of Mercedes-Benz

As with the launch of every new E-Class, the flagship model of luxury German car brand Mercedes-Benz, the phrase “evolution, not revolution” seems to sum up the automaker’s approach in reaching out to a new generation.

The new 2024 E-Class sedan, already available in select global markets, will soon hit South Korea, where the most E-Class models are sold globally, establishing the Northeast Asian country as one of Mercedes-Benz’s four major markets.

According to Merdes-Benz Korea on Friday, the latest model, set to hit Korean dealer showrooms next month, offers nearly as much elegance and substance as the S-Class flagship with a slightly less imposing profile.

And yet, all models come luxuriously equipped and packed with a host of new technology features inside as well as handsome exterior styling, it said.

The E-Class, known as the “heart” of Mercedes-Benz, has sold over 17 million units worldwide since its debut in 1946.

The latest version – its first fully revamped model in eight years – is now set to hit the country where the E-Class has been dubbed the “Gangnam Sonata,” meaning the most common sedan sold in the upper-class district of Gangnam, in southern Seoul. Sonata is the name of Hyundai Motor Co.'s top-selling sedan.

In Korea, Mercedes-Benz this year topped the imported vehicle list for the seventh consecutive year, with the previous 10th-generation E-Class reaching the 100,000 sales mark in 2019, the first to do so among foreign vehicles in Korea, and hitting the 200,000 sales figure in 2022, again the first among foreign brands, according to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA).

REVAMP FROM THE GROUND UP

Built on the German carmaker’s 75-year heritage, the 2024 E-Class, its 11th-generation model, has been redesigned from the ground up with more technology and luxury than the previous model, according to its Korean office.

While the exterior harmoniously combines tradition and modernity, the interior features state-of-the-art technology, including artificial intelligence.

The 2024 E-Class introduces the all-new Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) Superscreen, through which information, communications, entertainment and guidance systems are managed.

It is also equipped with a pre-release version of the brand’s dedicated operating system MB.OS, scheduled for widespread release in 2025.

Other new functions include the AI-enhanced Routines, which recommends convenience features frequently used by the driver.

Mercedes-Benz hasn’t announced pricing for the 2024 E-Class yet.

Its Korean office plans to unveil the full lineup and prices of the new model next month ahead of its launch in the country.

Write to Sungsu Bae at baebae@hankyung.com

In-Soo Nam edited this article.