The Mercedes E-Class Estate will set you back £57,930, minimum

Remember when the boggo E-Class saloon was a sub-£40k car? Yeah those days are long gone. Merc has just announced prices for the Estate version of the new, sixth-gen car and you’re looking at just shy of £58k at the absolute least. Gulp.

That’s for the entry-level E 200, which is powered by a 2.0-litre, 4cyl mild-hybrid producing 201bhp and 236lb ft. Your other options are limited to a diesel of the same configuration (194bhp/325lb ft) or a plug-in hybrid capable of 69 miles of engineless driving between charges. That’ll get you to the office and back no problem.

All versions of the E-Class are fitted with Merc’s nine-speed auto, but that’s not the intel you want is it? Nope, the main draw is of course that enormous boot, which amounts to 615 litres in the Estate or 1,830 with the seats down. The PHEV takes a hit at 460/1,675 litres, just FYI.

All told there are five (yes, five!) trim levels: AMG Line, AMG Line Advanced, AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus and finally the Exclusive Edition.

As standard you get 18in alloys, active LED headlights, driving assistance and safety tech, a 14.4in touchscreen plus 12.3in driver display, two-zone climate control, wireless phone charging, a powered tailgate, a reversing camera and heated front seats. Honestly, what more do you really need from a car?

Meanwhile the company’s MBUX infotainment system is also standard, and the latest-gen version allows you to install apps like TikTok and Zoom. Hashtag ForYouPage.

Advanced ups the ante with 19s, digital LEDs, seats with memory functionality, augmented reality for the sat nav (what is it with Merc stick graphics on a camera feed these days?), and Mercedes’ Park Package with 360-degree camera.

Next up is Premium: that introduces the ‘Superscreen’ - basically a dashboard-wide display that gives the front passenger something to fiddle with - as well as Burmester surround sound with 21 speakers, active ambient lighting and a keyless system that lets you unlock the car with a smartphone.

Premium Plus (we’re nearly there, promise) adds 20s, an HUD, a panoramic roof, four-zone climate control, a 3D instrument cluster, an illuminated front grille and Merc’s ‘ENERGIZING’ package which turns the cabin into a spa-slash-luxury-wellness-centre on wheels at the touch of a button. We’ve tried it in the saloon and it’s… odd.

Finally, the Exclusive Edition brings 21s, a bonnet-mounted Mercedes-Benz star and mixes up the interior and exterior styling a bit. Costs the same as Premium Plus, apparently.

You’re looking at a two-and-a-bit-grand uplift like-for-like compared to the saloon: the diesel starts from £59,220 and the PHEV from a mighty £70k. The line-up tops out at £79k for the Premium Plus plug-in; less than the Estate’s more svelte sibling on account of there being no 450 d option. Boo.