2010 Mercedes E Class to be Officially Unveiled Next Week Ahead of Geneva Public Debut

Mercedes will be officially raising the curtain on its new E-Class early this year. The luxury automaker has decided to unveil the E-Class next week ahead of its scheduled debut at the Geneva Auto Salon in March.

The premium brand is hoping to get a head start on sales of the new E-Class, a mid-range luxury sedan, amidst a very difficult market environment. Car sales in Europe and North America have fallen by about a third since the third quarter of 2008 and even the premium brands have been hit hard by the crisis. E-Class sales globally were off by 23 percent in the first 11 months of 2008, compared to the same period in 2007. In Western Europe, sales were down almost 30 percent in 2008, excluding December figures.

The E Class comes with a slew of new technologies, such as lane-departure warning, a sign recognition system, and a more aggressive styling which the brand hopes will bring buyers into the showroom. The E-Class goes on sale in March in Europe. A roll out in other markets will follow later in 2009.