For decades it epitomised career success in Ireland. To own a Mercedes E-Class was to announce your arrival in the upper echelons of management (provided it didn't have a taxi plate on the roof).
The E-Class success was not restricted to Ireland. This car also ruled the executive segment in Europe. There were competitors of course, and many of them were more fun to drive or better value, but they were little more than distractions in the marketplace. For those who thought of their car as first and foremost a status symbol, the E-Class was king.
So what went wrong? Some insiders point to Mercedes' decision to take over Chrysler and its increasing involvement with Mitsubishi at the time. Some suggest Mercedes lost its engineering focus and got too caught up in cost-cutting and new businesses.
Of course none of this would have mattered if the E-Class had retained the brand's reputation for quality and reliability. Unfortunately that was not the case. Various technological problems with the car not only damaged the reputation of this model but the good name of the brand as well.
In a JD Power survey released last month Mercedes ranked 11th out of 28 carmakers in customer satisfaction in Germany - behind Skoda and Daihatsu.
After two major recalls of the E-Class due to faulty electronics - alternators, batteries and brake systems - orders came down from Mercedes head office that things had to change.
Admittedly, the problems with the E-Class should not be taken out of context. Most cars suffer recalls during their lifetime, with many models recalled far more often than the E-Class. Yet Mercedes owners are an unforgiving lot and they expect faultless engineering.
Their disappointment opened the door for competitors to challenge Mercedes' dominance. These rivals smelt blood and they weren't slow to take advantage.
There's only one way for Mercedes to put the brand's reputation back on track and that's to create a relatively faultless E-Class. Financially alone, it's vital this model does well, for it accounts for 30 per cent of Mercedes' revenue, according to industry analysts.
The first thing to say about the new version is that from first impressions, they haven't overstretched the designers. There has been no change to the dimensions and the most obvious aesthetic differences are a sharper, more arrow-shaped grille and louvered headlights with horizontal ribs for a more aggressive look.
Yet turning heads is not what facelifts are about. In a recent interview, Mercedes chief designer, Peter Pfeiffer, explained the theory behind such subtle changes. "It is a fine skill to upgrade a car without the owner of the outgoing model having the feeling he is driving an old car."
For all the subtle exterior touches, 2,000 parts have been replaced on this revised E-Class. Most notably, Mercedes has decided to ditch the car's controversial by-wire braking system in favour of a more conventional hydraulic system.
The revised E-Class also signifies the marque's renewed emphasis on safety.
Central to this is the anticipatory Pre-Safe system - taken from the S-Class - which constantly monitors chassis dynamics and in milliseconds of anticipating a crash, tightens the seatbelts, closes windows and moves the passenger seat into the optimum position for airbags to work. After a crash it cuts off fuel, activates hazard lights and unlocks doors to aid escape or rescue.
Another notable safety feature occurs during heavy braking when the rear lights flash rather than just illuminate, as tests show this produces heavier braking by the vehicle behind.
Our test car was an E200 Kompressor and it was really a pleasant surprise. Far from the sluggish entry-level model we expected, it powered along without complaint with a little throttle effort from the driver.
We were actually quite taken with its efforts and while engine noise was a feature when you pushed it over 4,000rpm, it always seemed eager to move on.
Certainly for Irish motorists, chastened with our punitive VRT tax based on engine size, the fact that a 1.8-litre supercharged petrol can push such a large car around is great news.
Mercedes has used this occasion to make minor changes to the engine line-up, offering more power output yet lower fuel economy. Of the eight engines currently offered to Irish buyers, there's a choice in the petrol range between the E200 we tested, the 3-litre E280, the 3.5-litre E350, the 5-litre E500 and the range-topping 5.5-litre 476bhp E63 AMG, priced at €141,535.
Diesel versions on offer start with the 2.2-litre E220 Cdi, the E280 Cdi and the E320 Cdi. New estate versions are also on offer and for our money, family motorists cannot go far wrong with the E320 Cdi estate. It would be our pick of the bunch both for its enormous load lugging ability and smart styling.
Arguably the most impressive feature of the revised E-Class is actually its handling. The steering is appreciably sharper than it's predecessor, particularly at higher speed. In the earlier edition it had a tendency to roll in corners and the steering got quite light at high speeds, not the sort of feeling you enjoy on a motorway journey.
This time the feeling is a lot more precise. That said, it's not on a par with its BMW rival in terms of handling precision, but that's a conscious decision by Mercedes who have continually opted to make their mainstream saloons geared towards comfort rather than sports appeal. In that regard the handling on the new E-Class feels secure rather than racy.
Probably of more importance to Mercedes owners is the ride quality and on this front the E-Class retains the mile-munching smoothness and comfort people have come to expect.
Mercedes has towed a conservative line with this E-Class and it's understandable given the circumstances in which it arrives. It's a pity, however, that the designers didn't take this opportunity to adopt some of the interior features of the new S-Class into the model, such as replacing the rather cheaper interior plastics with the higher quality switchgear in the flagship model. For these we will probably have to wait for the completely new E-Class model due in 2009.
In terms of competition, the 5-Series remains more enjoyable to drive, though the E-Class continues to close that gap and the improved handling goes a long way to doing that.
The Audi still offers the best entry-level value on the market (you could get a 3.2-litre 255bhp V6 version for the same price as the automatic E200 Kompressor), particularly given its high quality of build, while the Lexus has the sleek design and high level of specification, even if the engine range is rather limited in comparison to the rest.
Then there's the new Volvo S80, the revised Saab 9-5 and the Jaguar S-Type to name but three more. This car is up against some stiff opposition.
As with all new cars, it's too early to say whether this Mercedes will fulfil all the ambitions to return to the top of the quality rankings. However, given the level of interest and scrutiny from senior management in its development and the efforts put in by the engineers, you would have to suspect this E-Class is likely to see very little of the garage. That will be good news for the brand. The question then is whether they can win back the customers they have lost to competitors.
