Official details and pictures of the new Mercedes E-Class have been released by the company, showing an executive saloon that is thoroughly improved over its predecessor. Sadly, they don’t seem to have put the same effort into the car’s styling, as it looks a bit… controversial. As with every new generation E-Class, the car introduces new headlights.

And those headlights are the fanciest bit of the car’s looks. They feature a very cool LED pattern, to be used in other new models in future as well. The profile remains pretty much the same as before, but you do get new bumpers, new grille, and new  taillights.

The interior meanwhile is typical Mercedes, a nice design with high quality materials, a steering column-mounted gear selector, an analog clock in the center console, and a large screen for the COMMAND infotainment system.

2013 E-Class obviously comes in two sedan and wagon variants. Also from launch you will be able to order a hybrid model. The E300 BlueTEC Hybrid offers a total output of 230 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque; does o to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds; and averages 4.1 liter per 100 km.

There is also a wide range of petrol and diesel engines. The petrol lineup includes the E200 and E250 four-cylinder models, the E300, E350 and the new E400 powered by a V6, and the E500 V8. As for the diesels you get the E200, E220, E250, E300, and E350. Later on there will also be an E63 AMG version with a 5.5 liter bi-turbo V8.

The new Mercedes E-Class is now as loaded with safety and convenience features as the current S-Class. It can be specified with PRE-SAFE, Distronic Plus, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST, ATTENTION ASSIST, BAS Plus, Active Lane Keeping, Traffic Sign Assists, 360-degree camera, and tons of other systems that used to be exclusive for the high-end luxury models. It makes you wonder what the next S-Class will be like.