Right now a heavy-weight bout is forming; a match that won’t take place until 2011 and will be fought on the mean streets that surround every Mercedes-Benz and BMW dealership. The winner will capture the mid-size luxury sedan market, while the loser will likely still do very well. The fight is between the upcoming 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-class and the new-for-2011 BMW 5-series.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-class—like almost every new car these days—will grow in both length and width. As a buyer, you will find a host of old and new technologies to make your driving experience increasingly complicated. If you can get past all the unnecessary electronic gizmos, you can bask in the car’s variety of old and new engines—including a 600-hp AMG engine—and sexy sheet metal. Expect the 2010 E-class to officially debut at the upcoming 2009 Detroit International Auto Show.

An all-new BMW 5-series is expected to be on the market a year after the Mercedes. Like the upcoming E-class, the BMW will grow in size but will keep weight down through extensive use of aluminum. The 2011 5-series engines will take full advantage of turbocharging to reduce consumption and emissions but keep performance high; the engines will include the twin-turbo 3.0-liter I-6, twin-turbo V-8, and a turbo V-8 instead of the large V-10 for the M5.

[via Motor Trend and Left Lane News]

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