Mercedes-Benz is hitting the 2010 New York Auto Show hard with a barrage of updated and new (to the U.S., anyway) cars, including the E-Class Wagon, which makes its U.S. debut today. Available only in E350 4Matic trim, the new car offers a touch more utility without the sacrifice to style and compactness required of a crossover.

With a 3.5-liter, 268-horsepower V-6 engine, the E350 wagon delivers power to all four wheels all the time--a good companion for inclement weather, though with the seven-speed auto as the sole cogswapper, it's not likely to enhance dry-road performance much. Sixty-forty fold down rear seats open up the back end of the car for cargo capacity, while the electronically controlled air springs in the rear level the ride out when weight is added to the back.

Otherwise, the E350 4Matic Wagon is the same as the new E-Class sedan, with a familiar face and standard equipment package. As the live images show, it's a looker, too--the proportions of the extra greenhouse on the rear don't do any harm to the sedan's lines at all.

[Mercedes-Benz]