Does the Mercedes-Benz E-Class have folding rear seats?
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class recently received a comprehensive facelift, however, remains a practical and luxurious sedan in the German automaker's arsenal. In this article, we investigate to find out whether or not the model range offers rear folding seats for those occasions when you need extra luggage space.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is considered by many as the ‘heart of the brand’ as the model has been featured in the product line-up since 1946. Since its introduction, more than 14 million E-Class vehicles have been sold globally with that number continuing to grow, especially since its recent facelift.
Now you might have considered getting an Instant Offer on your current vehicle and finding a new or used Mercedes-Benz E-Class model on AutoTrader. But will the German sedan suit all your needs? More specifically, will it allow you to fold down the rear seats when you require extra luggage space? Find out here as we investigate a little deeper.
Related: Which Mercedes-Benz E-Class is better: diesel or petrol?
Luggage space
Currently, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is offered in a variety of body styles, namely a sedan, coupe and cabriolet. With the different configurations come different luggage capacities. Let us see how much boot space each offers their owners and whether they can expand it by lowering the rear seats.
Cabriolet
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is most certainly a very attractive model, even with the roof closed. But although the model offers up four seats, it is not the most practical of vehicles and is best suited for individuals that want a sporty vehicle with the added glamour of an open-top.
The practicality of the derivative is further hindered by the available luggage space. With the roof up, customers can expect 360 litres of boot space, but as soon as the roof folds away, it encroaches on that volume and results in the available space shrinking to 285 litres. However, customers will be happy to note that they can lower the seat-backs in a 50:50 split to increase luggage space.
Coupe
Like the cabriolet, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe comes with four seats and two doors. Thus, in terms of its practicality, the coupe offers just about the same levels as its drop-top sibling. But because of the solid roof on the coupe, how it tapers down towards the rear, and the lack of roof folding mechanisms fitted to the vehicle, the coupe offers more luggage space.
In fact, the boot space on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe is rated at 405 litres. But if this is not enough or the customer has a piece of luggage with larger dimensions and needs some additional space, they can very easily lower the rear seats to accommodate it. Like the cabriolet, the rear seats in the coupe fold down in a 50:50 split configuration.
Sedan
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan remains the most practical of the bunch as not only do customers gain access to a larger 540-litre boot, but also an extra seat in the cabin. The extra seat, however, does change the way in which the rear bench folds down. Unlike its coupe and cabriolet siblings, the rear seats in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan fold down in a 40:20:20 split configuration.
Thus, if you only fold down the middle and one of the side seats, a passenger will still be able to comfortably occupy one of the rear seats.
Verdict
If you wondered if the Mercedes-Benz E-Class has folding rear seats, the answer is a definite yes. In fact, all of the variants in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class range offer this functionality. However, not all will provide equal amounts of space. If you occasionally require a larger boot to transport larger cargo, then the sedan will be the best option, with the coupe coming in second place.
While the cabriolet derivative does offer respectable luggage space and folding rear seats, it remains less practical for regular transporting of larger or higher volumes of luggage.
