Model E 240 is equipped with a 6-cylinder V-engine with a displacement of 2.4 liters and a power of 170 hp. The engine is the successor to the 4-cylinder version of the E 230.
During 1997, the range of E-class engines was thoroughly revised. The result was the E 280 and E 320 models, equipped with 6-cylinder V-engines, the first examples of the new M 112 engine series. These engines replaced the old 6-cylinder in-line units of the same displacement. The power of the V6 engines is 204 and 224 hp, respectively. For comparison: in-line engines of the same volume of the E-class of the 1996 model year had 193 and 220 hp. The torque curve of both V-engines is flat in the range of 3000-5000 min-1, which allows more frequent use of higher gears, reducing engine speed and, accordingly, fuel consumption. To reduce the vibration load of the V-shaped engine, an additional balancing shaft was used. The use of lightweight materials made V-engines 25% lighter than in-line engines. These engines were the first to feature light alloy cylinder liners, which provide fuel savings thanks to the low-friction coating. Emissions of harmful substances are significantly reduced thanks to the use of a three-valve cylinder head and two spark plugs per cylinder. These measures also contributed to a 9-13% reduction in fuel consumption for the E 280 compared to its predecessor.