Oh lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?; (If He did, chances are it would be an E).

Few vehicles have such strong brand equity they actually define their makes. BMW has its 3 Series, Porsche its 911. For Mercedes, that car is the E-Class.

Since the launch of the current E in 1995, Mercedes' midsizer has outsold every other car in the stable and has hovered near the 50,000 sales mark in the United States since 1998. Even more impressive, the E-Class has made up more than 45 percent of the German automaker's worldwide car production since its introduction in 1947. So while the S-Class remains the Mercedes flagship and the SL its ultimate statement vehicle, the E forms the backbone of the Mercedes ideal: elegant yet powerful, executive-sized yet a great driver.

But then something happened. Last year Mercedes' redesigned C-Class snatched the sales lead from the E. To expand its reach, Stuttgart began pushing into the downward end of the luxury market, with cars like the C230 Sports Coupe and its cheaper interior materials, tractor-like Kompressor motor and less than $26,000 sticker. Mercedes had hoped the C would draw more people to the brand, at an earlier age and lower income level, and so far it looks like it's succeeded on the demographic score. But don't count on the little car to stay on top in total sales, because the E is Mercedes' bread-and-butter-and there's a new one on its way.

``Our goal for E-Class is nothing short of absolutely dominating the segment,'' says Karen Makris, North American product manager for Mercedes sedans.

With a redesign that took four years, cost almost $2 billion and improves on the current car in every way, the venerable E will no doubt recoup that top spot when it rolls into showrooms late this summer.

Helping out to that end is a host of new technology borrowed from Mercedes' bigger cars, like a brake-by-wire system called Sensotronic Brake Control and Airmatic, an air suspension system.

SBC, launched a few months ago on the new SL, works much like Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Force Distribution, but in a fully electrohydraulic environment. The system uses a hydraulic reservoir connected to valves at each wheel to supply instant brake pressure at any corner. It helps bring the E to a stop during emergency braking maneuvers, fully activating the brakes even if it senses the driver has eased off the pedal. And SBC also works in accordance with the car's stability control system by pulsing individual brakes to help keep the car straight during a skid. It evenly distributes brake force to all four wheels, as the car rolls over uneven surfaces or around corners. To keep the whole system in working order, SBC will occasionally sweep the brakes to keep them dry in wet conditions.