Mercedes-Benz apparently wants the 2021 E-class wagon to entice more SUV shoppers, so it's adding All-Terrain to the name and has added body cladding as standard.

The E450 wagon also receives a new inline-six-cylinder engine featuring the company's 48-volt hybrid system.

Other upgrades include enhanced driver-assistance technology, an updated infotainment system, and new off-road drive modes.

We frequently decry the crossover takeover of America, and the body cladding that will now adorn every Mercedes-Benz E450 wagon is a vivid illustration of the reason. In what appears to be a shameless attempt to attract shoppers considering a crossover—or those who are too rich to be seen in a Subaru Outback—Mercedes-Benz has besmirched its once elegant E-class wagon with faux ruggedness.

The classy Volvo V90 offers a separate Cross Country variant with that "rugged" look, but it's available without it. Not so for Mercedes; its E-class wagon will now be called the E450 All-Terrain and come only with the extra black plastic trim starting with the 2021 model year. It'll also feature a higher ride height, redesigned grille, and updated LED headlights and taillights. A set of 19-inch wheels wrapped with all-season tires are standard, but 20-inch rims are available for extra coin.

Although the E-class wagon's new look makes us sad, we're glad that it's getting the company's all-new M256 turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, which pairs with a 48-volt hybrid system (read: electric supercharger). The setup generates 362 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. That power is routed through a nine-speed automatic transmission and 4Matic all-wheel drive. Every E450 rides on a standard air suspension and includes dedicated off-road drive modes that can even regulate speed going downhill.

In addition to what's new under the hood, for 2021 the E-class wagon has a new steering-wheel design with touch-sensitive controls that let you use voice commands or a large center-console touchpad for Mercedes-Benz's latest MBUX infotainment system with its 12.3-inch touchscreen. The system also introduces new options such as augmented video navigation and an artificial-intelligence-based virtual assistant.

The E450's driver assistance technology gets some upgrades, too, including capacitive hands-off detection for that new steering wheel. In plain English, this means you won't get false alarms when you're using lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control, because the vehicle "knows" your hands are on the wheel, even if you don't wiggle it as in torque-detecting systems. The wagon's automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and parking-assist features also get increased functionality, Mercedes says.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-class wagon will go on sale at the end of this year. Pricing is not yet available.

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