A raft of intelligent safety features and more efficient petrol and diesel engines form the basis of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Pictured here for the first time in saloon form (an estate version will follow later this year), it goes on sale in the UK in June promising engines which use up to 23% less fuel than their predecessors.

With a drag co-efficient of 0.25, Mercedes-Benz claims the new E-Class is the world’s most aerodynamic luxury saloon.

The company’s BlueEfficiency eco-branding will be applied to all models except the petrol V8s.

This package includes special tyres which have 17% less rolling resistance than before and optimised alternator, fuel pump, air conditioning compressor and power steering units.

There will also be a gearshift indicator on manual transmission models and a stop/start function on the E200 CGI petrol model.

Four diesel engines will be offered, although only two will be available from launch – the E250 CDI with 204bhp and the E350 CDI V6.

The former uses 23% less fuel than the V6 E280 CDI it replaces and returns claimed combined fuel economy of 53.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 139g/km.

In the summer, the 136bhp E200 and 170bhp E220 CDI units will arrive, boasting identical economy and emissions figures to the E250 diesel.

On the petrol engine front, all units now feature direct injection for increased efficiency.

The 1.8-litre-engined E200 and E250 CGI units return 41.5 and 38.1mpg respectively.

There will also be a V6 E350 CGI, a V8 E500 and, of course, a barmy 525bhp E63 AMG version.