Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain 4x4² Is Real And It's Spectacular

Mercedes introduced its belated answer to the Audi A6 Allroad about a year ago by launching the E-Class All-Terrain. With a rugged body, 156-mm (6.1-inch) ground clearance, and standard 4Matic all-wheel drive, the All-Terrain is the perfect alternative to an SUV. One crazy (in a good way) engineer involved in the development of the E-Class decided to take things even further by creating a hardcore 4x4² version.

Naturally, his source of inspiration were the bonkers Mercedes-AMG G63 6x6 and the more recent G-Class 4x4². Jürgen Eberle is responsible for creating this gem and it took him roughly six months to get the job done. In the first phase, the midsize wagon received plastic body cladding while the ground clearance was raised by 40 mm (1.5 inches), thus bringing the total to almost 200 mm (7.8 inches).

Not entirely satisfied with the project, he took things even further by borrowing the portal axles from the aforementioned G500 4x4² and ending up with a massive ground clearance of 420 mm (16.5 inches). That's more than double than the regular All-Terrain and at the same time even more than the 370 mm (14.5 inches) offered by the high-riding G-Wagen. Not only that, but the wading depth now stands at an impressive 500 mm (19.6 inches), which is 50 mm (1.96 inches) more than the G and 220 mm (8.6 inches) more than the standard All-Terrain. The approach and departure angles have also been improved.

It sits on 20-inch wheels with chunky 285/50 R20 tires and is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine taken from the E400 with 333 hp (245 kW) and 480 Newton-meters (354 pound-feet) of torque on tap. You can't get the standard All-Terrain with that engine or any other gasoline unit for that matter as Mercedes is selling it exclusively in 220d and 350d flavors.

With carbon fiber wheel arch extensions and 200-mm (7.8-inch) wider tracks, the E-Class All-Terrain 4x4² looks the part. There's actually a chance the off-road wagon will make it to production, albeit in small numbers. High-ranked people within Mercedes are keen on the idea behind Eberle's pet project, so it could actually happen.