LAS VEGAS -- Mercedes-Benz has priced its 2010 E-class sedan $4,600 below the current model.

"We are continuing the strategy we started with the new C class two years ago by pricing close to actual transaction prices," said Ernst Lieb, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA at a press event here.

The base price of the 2010 E350 rear-drive sedan with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine is $49,475. The current E350 sedan starts at $54,075. All prices include shipping.

The 2010 version, which goes on sale next month, includes features not available on the current S class, said Bernhard Glaser, general manager of product management for Mercedes-Benz USA.

The 2010 E550 with a V-8 5.5-liter engine will start at $57,175. Four-wheel-drive versions of the E350 and E550 will cost an extra $2,500.

Mercedes also is replacing the CLK coupe and convertible with models based on the new E class. The E350 coupe will start at $48,925. The CLK, which is positioned between the E-class and C-class models, has a base price of $48,975.

The new E550 coupe starts at $55,525. The coupes are available only with rear-wheel drive.

The coupes and the rear-drive sedans go on sale in late June. They will be followed by the four-wheel-drive sedan in September and the E63 AMG high-performance model sedan in November.

The E350 Bluetec 50-state diesel sedan will arrive next March, followed by the E350 4Matic station wagon in June 2010. An E-class-based convertible will replace the CLK convertible next spring.

Standard features on the sedan and coupe include nine airbags, active head restraints and a new generation of Mercedes' Comand system. Comand is a central controller for the navigation, phone, and audio system with a 7-inch color display integrated into the instrument panel. The display has been moved so drivers can glance at information without taking their eyes off the road.

Options on the sedan and coupe include adaptive high-beam lights, parking assistance and a distance-control system that brakes the car automatically when it's too close to another vehicle. Lane and blind-spot monitoring systems also are offered as options.

The E-class coupe also comes standard with a panoramic sunroof, driver knee and pelvic airbags, a garage door opener, Bluetooth, automatic dimming mirrors and a drowsiness monitoring system.