Under the hood, we're expecting to see a fully updated engine line-up, complete with two Bluetec diesel powerplants. For starters there's a base 1.8-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder gas engine along with the new 204 HP 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel. Expect the AMG version to hit somewhere during calendar year 2010 with a direct-inject V8 pushing around 550 HP, and a hybrid version coming at around the same time. Expect that version to use the same mildly-hybridized system found under the hood of the new S400 BlueHybrid. What you shouldn't expect is to see the official reveal of the new E-Class sedan anytime before Geneva next year, with the new Estate and Coupe/Drop-Top hitting in time for Frankfurt near the end of the year. We look forward to our first test-drive, and immediate comparison with the CTS and Genesis. See a larger, quasi-higher-resolution version of the new E-Class here. [Autozeitung via CarScoop]

The next-generation 2009 Mercedes E-Class was spotted by the intrepid folks of CarEnthusiast.com while testing on a motorway leading to Valencia. Here's what they've got to say:

"Wearing just a thin disguise, it's possible to make out the complete shape of the new car. With bold feature lines along its flanks the new E-Class echoes the styling of its C-Class relative. Around the rear the taillights spread over onto the bootlid, unlike those on the current car.

The nose is where the E-Class is most radical though; its headlamp shape is similar to that of its CLS and SL relatives, the bonnet closing over the top of the front wings. It's thought that Mercedes has been working hard to ensure that the next generation E-Class doesn't tip the scales any heavier than the existing model. Power will come from a revised range of engines based on those already available in the Mercedes line-up, including an AMG model with its 6.2-litre V8 engine. Expected to be officially revealed later this year, the next generation E-Class should be in UK showrooms some time in 2009."