MERCEDES is revamping the E-Class range with new looks, more kit and business car lease prices starting from £319 per month for the E220 CDI model.

The company says it’s the biggest ever mid-life update ever carried out to one of its cars. And there’s plenty in the new Mercedes E-Class to appeal to company car drivers in the simplified line-up.

Externally, although the silhouette of the new car is broadly unchanged, there are extensive bodywork changes.

The four-headlamp nose, a feature of E-Class models since 1995, is finally ditched, and the complicated pattern of creases on the side panels is cleaned up in favour of a smoother look.

There are just two Mercedes E-Class trim levels – SE and AMG Sport. COMAND online multimedia interface and DAB digital radios are fitted as standard across the range, along with the Collision Prevention Asist braking system.

Prices are higher, but Mercedes says this is more than compensated for by these and other improvements in equipment levels.

SE models provide an extra £4,000 of equipment for an increase of £2,280, while AMG Sport models cost £575 more than their previous Sport equivalents, but have extra kit worth almost £3,000.

Apart from the E 220 CDI, all cars are automatics, and four-cylinder engine options dominate. The only exceptions are the three-litre E 350 BlueTEC diesel (only available in AMG Sport models) and the 5.5-litre high performance E 63 AMG model.

Most business users will make a bee-line for the E 220 CDI SE, which enjoys zero first-year road tax thanks to emissions of 125g/km (manual) and 128g/km (automatic).

The manual E 220 CDI is available for £319 per month via Mercedes-Benz Finance ‘Agility PCP’ with a £5,407 customer deposit if you want to run the new Mercedes personally, and a Contract Hire price of £319 per month as well if you want to run it through your business. The E 220 CDI SE Estate costs £10 per month more.

But there should also be plenty of takers for the updated version of Business Car manager’s current SME Company Car of the Year, the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID, which delivers 109g/km emissions combined with top performance; in fact, at £39,530 in SE form, this BCM favourite is slightly more affordable than before, and now commands a smaller price premium than before compared with the E 220 CDI and the E 250 CDI.

One bonus for looks-conscious company car drivers; the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID no longer needs to be specified with small sixteen-inch wheels in order to squeeze below the 110g/km barrier.

The mainstream petrol options, the E 200 and E 250 both achieve a creditable 138g/km in the SE saloon.

The new range starts at £32,400 for the saloon and £34,310 for the saloon and the first cars turn up in the UK in April.