The two-door variant of Singapore’s most popular luxury car debuts tonight, priced from $282,888.

SINGAPORE — Stylish, yet intelligent – that’s what Mercedes would like you to think whenever you see its latest model the E-Class Coupe. It’s being launched in Singapore tonight in two flavours: E 200 Coupe ($282,888 with Certificate Of Entitlement) and E 300 Coupe ($334,888).

Both versions use the same turbocharged 2.0-litre engine but in different states of tune; respective power and peak torque outputs are 184hp/300Nm and 245hp/370Nm, and the E 300 Coupe gets from standstill to 100km/h in 6.4 seconds, a significant 1.4 seconds faster than the E 200 Coupe.

As the E-Class Coupe’s name implies, understanding what this car is is simple – it’s the evergreen E-Class shorn of two doors and dressed in sexier sheetmetal.

And just as the sedan has a family look common to the other Mercedes four-doors, it should come as no surprise that the E-Class Coupe bears a similarly strong resemblance to the two-door S-Class and C-Class coupe models.

The 2017 version brings the model back to its roots, in that it is once again a true E-Class. Its immediate predecessor from 2010-2016 may have been branded as such, but it was actually built on the bones of the smaller C-Class; same goes for the model it replaced, the CLK (1997-2009).

This switch back to proper E-Class underpinnings explains the jump in size compared to the previous car: At 4,826mm long, 1,860mm wide and 1,430mm tall, the new car has grown 123mm, 74mm and 33mm, which means much improved space for rear passengers. 

In contrast to the sleek exterior, the E-Class Coupe’s interior is largely identical to the sedan’s, save for the air vents which have a jet turbine look about them. That’s no bad thing though, as it does mean that it’s still an attractive blend of craftsmanship and technology.

Standard features on the E 200 Coupe include a Burmester Surround Sound system, LED headlights and taillights, Parking Pilot, a 360 degree camera and power closing doors.

To this, the E 300 adds an AMG bodykit, widescreen cockpit (two 12.3-inch displays), 19-inch rims, Apple CarPlay and a panoramic sunroof.

These features can also be added to the E 200 Coupe as options, but once you tally it all up you might as well spring for the E 300, if you ask us.

The E-Class Coupe’s position in the local market is a slightly peculiar one, as it doesn’t quite fit into the existing segment moulds. The closest competitor in terms of size is the BMW 640i, although that car lives in a more expensive neighbourhood and has a bigger (3.0-litre) engine.

Meanwhile all the other four-seater coupes here available with 4-cylinder engines are smaller in size, and therefore are far closer in price to the C-Class Coupe instead.

The unique positioning does mean that buyers who want the extra size and presence of an E-Class, but don’t need scintillating performance, now have an option that won’t break the bank.

Want to know what the new E-Class Coupe is like on the road? Read our review of the E 300 at its global launch in Spain.