Spied: 2009 Mercedes E-Class

You've got to get up really early in the morning it you want to escape our spies! Manufacturers are normally extremely careful about hiding their top-secret new models, but our snapper caught these forthcoming Mercedes all parked in the open outside a Swedish hotel.Underneath the covers are three variants of the new E-Class – saloon, estate and CLK coupe. With winter testing now in full swing, the German firm has brought its cars to Scandinavia to undergo cold weather evaluation.Out on the road it was the four-door that underwent the most testing. As these pictures show, the newcomer is clearly influenced by the recently launched C-Class. At the front one-piece wraparound headlamps replace the existing twin-light system, while distinctive character lines run down the car’s flanks.Hi-tech systems will be be a standout feature of the E-Class, with PRE-SAFE collision warning, an ESP system that automatically adjusts the steering to compensate for cross winds and a range BlueTec diesel engines.Expect the executive Merc to make its public debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.