[TEST DRIVE] New E-Class: The most high-tech Merc or too much tech?

The latest generation of Korea's top imported car delivers big on features.

Mercedes' new E-Class, its first full revamp in eight years. [MERCEDES-BENZ KOREA]

PAJU, Gyeonggi — You probably thought there weren’t that many flashy gadgets that could be crammed into a car. But Mercedes has taken in-car technology to new heights with the latest E-Class.

Watching Netflix or YouTube in a car is nothing new nowadays, but how about you and your family watch different movies that suit everyone's own tastes with separate monitors?

The German automaker brought the E-Class, with its first full revamp in eight years, to Korea last month. Korea is the world’s largest market for the model; it has been the best-selling imported car for eight consecutive years.

Mercedes' new E-Class, its first full revamp in eight years [MERCEDES-BENZ KOREA]

The Korea JoongAng Daily recently got behind the wheel of the latest E-Class on a 130-kilometer (81-mile) journey from Seoul to Paju, Gyeonggi.

Exterior-wise, there are not that many changes from the previous model, except for the illuminated grille, which offers a slightly more futuristic and majestic vibe.

It is not as spacious as you might expect, particularly in the rear — maybe smaller than its rivals, the BMW 5 Series and the Genesis G80.

The interior of the latest E-Class [MERCEDES-BENZ KOREA]

But immediately upon getting into the car, this reporter was entirely overwhelmed by the new Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) Superscreen, developed by LG Display, that extends across the entire dashboard.

While driving the car, another reporter in the passenger seat watched football match videos through the display in front of him.

I could watch it as well, but as soon as I started the engine, the screen turned black from my view to prevent the driver "from being distracted while driving."

"When the display shows the navigation service, it shifts to the screen that drivers can also see," said a spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz Korea. "This is why we confidently say the new E-class got so much smarter."

Mercedes' new E-Class, its first full revamp in eight years. [MERCEDES-BENZ KOREA]

The latest E-Class is a car that does lots of things on its own by figuring out the drivers' needs.

When it exceeds a speed of 110 kilometers per hour, the sunroof roller blind automatically opens. When the outside temperature goes below 3 degrees, the seat heater is automatically turned on.

Even when turning quick-tempo music on, the Exciter on the seat vibrates based on the rhythm to make people more "feelable," in Mercedes' words.

The interior light system changes its color based on the melodies of the music, giving drivers a feeling like they are at a club or a quiet and cozy bar.

Uh-oh. Maybe the car had too much fancy tech at one time; it suddenly showed a warning sign related to its brakes, which made this reporter stop on a random road.

Nothing was wrong, even when a tech engineer from Mercedes checked, who said it was an "error that it says it has an error."

The in-car navigation service did not seem to have been upgraded. It was uncomfortable and hard to interpret, but Mercedes said it would have the TMAP service, a favored navigation application among Koreans, soon.

The fuel economy recorded 11.6 kilometers per liter after the three-hour test drive, compared to its claim of 11.1 kilometers.

The sticker price of the E-Class starts at 73.9 million won ($55,300) in Korea. The price of the E300 4 Matic Exclusive, which is the most popular model among Koreans, rose 15 percent to start at 89.99 million won.

The E-Class lineup will be available in seven models, all equipped with electrified engines. Three of the seven will be introduced in the first quarter and four in the second half, including a plug-in hybrid.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]