BHPian Omkar recently shared this with other enthusiasts: In the past year, we’ve driven the Mercedes E-Class on 2 occasions. The first one was right after the launch, when we drove the E200 4-cylinder petrol, and then some time later, we got to drive the E450 6-cylinder petrol. Now, finally, we got behind the wheel of the only diesel car of the segment – the E220d (all engine posts have been added to the main review on Page 1). Yes, the E-Class diesel is the lone oil burner in this segment, as the BMW 5 Series and the Audi A6 have both opted for a petrol-only route. The E-Class is the highest-selling luxury car in India, with a 47% YoY growth in Q2 FY2025-26, which is why Mercedes wants to offer the flexibility of choice to its customers. This Verde Metallic Silver paint shade has been added to the E-Class colour palette. Other than that, the E220d, which is offered in the Avantgarde trim, is identical to its 4-cylinder petrol sibling in looks and features. The only thing that differentiates the two is the E220d badge on the boot. The diesel E-Class costs Rs. 80.41 lakh, which is about Rs. 1.89 lakh more than the petrol. With no other competitor in sight, the only competition that the E220d faces is from the E200 petrol. Both are closely matched in terms of performance and offer the exact same kit. At the end of the day, it all boils down to preference.Driving the E220d 2.0L Diesel AT2.0-litre, inline 4-cylinder diesel engine puts out 194 BHP @ 3,600 rpm and 440 Nm @ 1,800-2,800 rpm. It is mated to a 9-speed torque converter AT: The 4-cylinder petrol and diesel engines from Mercedes have been around for some time now and are quite popular in the Indian market as well. The OM 654 M is the latest update, which gets a 48-volt electrical system and an integrated starter generator. The 48V system helps start the diesel engine much faster and more gently, which is important. You can also notice this during start-up, which is very gentle and non-diesel-like. Driving around the city, the E220d feels calm and composed. There’s loads of torque on offer, which makes driving around in the city feel effortless. You don’t even feel any turbo lag at low revs, and the engine is very responsive to throttle input. Those being chauffeured around town will appreciate the relaxed nature of the engine and also the refinement. Get on some open road, and this is where the E220d shines. It munches miles in style, and you will want to just keep driving as it is effortless. The power delivery is very linear, and there’s no turbo kick as such. The speed climbs in a very linear fashion, which makes for a very comfortable experience on the highway. Highway overtakes are taken care of easily. Just flex your right foot, and the E220d leaps forward. You will have to be mindful of the distance if you’re in Eco mode, but in Comfort and Sport modes, you will be just fine. Outright performance is also strong. The claimed 0-100 km/h time is 7.6 seconds, which is just 1 tenth of a second slower than the E200 (0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds). The 9G-Tronic automatic transmission is a torque converter unit and is it very smooth. The upshifts and downshifts are very smooth. With a light foot, you barely feel the transmission going up or down the gears. Driving around in the city, the gearbox never felt like it was in the wrong gear or confused. It has been tuned well, and you will always find yourself in the right gear. On kickdown, the gearbox doesn’t hesitate to drop 3 or even 4 gears at times to get the engine into the power band. The response time, however, isn’t as quick as the ZF transmissions in BMWs. You can even use the paddle shifters if you want to shift manually. They’re fairly responsive. There are 4 drive modes just like the E200 petrol and their characteristics are also very similar.Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)Something that the owners will truly appreciate in the E220d is the refinement of the engine. As mentioned earlier, the start-up is quick and gentle. On a cold start, you will hear the engine humming as usual, but it settles down pretty quickly. At low revs and in the city, you won’t hear the engine in the cabin or feel any unnecessary vibrations anywhere. It’s quite refined that way. Work the engine hard, and you will hear the diesel grunt when you soar past 3,000 rpm. Some people might not enjoy it, but it’s not disturbing IMO. Wind and road noise are well controlled at 100-120 km/h.Mileage & Fuel economyThe E-Class has a fuel tank capacity of 66 litres. Couple that to the fuel-efficient diesel engine, and you have a very long range. You can expect a range of ~800 km on a full tank, which is just excellent. Read BHPian nikhil.nayak’s highway run with the E220d here. E220d badge sits on the left of the boot. There are no other differences in terms of features or looks between the petrol and diesel versions of the E-Class: Redline for the diesel engine starts just under 4,500 rpm. This is not an engine that you’ll enjoy revving hard: MID shows you the AdBlue range: AdBlue DEF fueling cap is placed next to the diesel fueling cap: B7 & B10 are biodiesel blends (number indicates the percentage). XTL stands for X-to-Liquid, a type of synthetic diesel that meets the European standard for paraffinic fuels:Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
