Brabus combines power and practicality in its take on the Mercedes E-Class wagon

The world's leading Mercedes tuner, Brabus clearly likes a challenge. So rather than upping the potency of a coupé or convertible, it's turned its attention to getting the most performance possible out of the latest generation E-Class Station Wagon.

In the world of aftermarket tuning, it's always easier to take a car that's already fast and exotic and make it faster and rarer still. For example, this week Novitec rolled out the N-Largo: an 860hp wide-bodied, supercharged reimagining of the Lamborghini Huracan Spyder.

And as impressive as it sounds, let's not forget that even before Novitec reached for the spanners, the Lamborghini was already a 610hp, 201mph supercar.

But for its latest tuning project, Brabus has started with the Mercedes E-Class station wagon, a car built for carrying families and their luggage, in cosseting comfort. More impressive still is that the package it's developed can be applied in stages, or in its entirety to any model in the range, regardless of having a gasoline or diesel engine under the hood.

The company can dial the entry-level E 200's engine output up to 225hp and 330Nm of torque and bestow 51 more horsepower and 100Nm of extra torque on the E350d (diesel), giving owners a 309hp fuel-efficient station wagon that can still hit 100km/h in 5.7 seconds.

But the company's saved the best for the V6 AMG specification model. Go for the bespoke external body kit (designed in the wind tunnel), complete with integrated rear diffuser and improved front spoiler, plus tweaked suspension that shaves 35mm off the ride height and the full under-the-hood tuning solution, and you've got a family car that has 450hp on tap and can hit 100km/h in 4.4 seconds. That's quicker than a Porsche Boxster S.

As well as external upgrades, Barbus will also completely redress the interior with its own hard-wearing leathers and Alcantara and throw in stainless steel brake and accelerator pedals plus customized backlit door treads. And, best of all, each of the upgrades is covered by the company's own three-year/100,000km warranty.