SPIED! Mercedes W212 E-Class Facelift: Renders, Spyshots, Etc

Despite what Merc1 said that facelift appeared in September 1989, which was a little less than 5 years after it's public debut in December 1984, not 1990(it was MY1990). In 1991 for MY1992, there were also some minor styling updates including a new steering wheel design lifted from the W140, 6 spoke wheels, etc.(some subtle changes, but not really a facelift).

Nice catch! But the 2013 brochures started reaching dealers recently and nothing in the brochures suggest that changes are coming for MY2013. In the US, the only change is the addition of the E400 HYBRID.

FYI, I live in Washington DC so brochure availability in your region may vary but dealers here already have 2013 brochures on hand.

I can't access photobucket at work so hopefully these uploaded scans show up!

What are rambling about? Do you know? The W124? It got a facelift for the 1990 model year again for the 1994 model year, now keep getting confused about when it "debuted". Again, like I stated before the W124 was the exception because of its 10 year lifespan. NO other E or S-Class has had 2 facelifts since those 80's models. What part of that is so hard to grasp?


M

Really? A relocated/designed nav screen and better materials yes, but a whole new interior I wouldn't call it. I don't get it. The E-Class has had such changes before and BOTH prior C-Class models have had their interiors upgraded big time at facelift time. Again, what is the point here? All of them needed improving? YES. It is normal practice, for better or worse, with the C-Class. Look at the 2 previous generations before and after facelift interiors.

Those "distinctive" features of the E's look are a mess and if anything Mercedes (using your logic) knows that hence the big facelift. You can't have it both ways, it either works and is distinctive or it isn't and doesn't work. If they facelift is a big one like you and some others think it will be, does that mean the current design of the E is a POS also?

Its a mess IMO. Lines and whatnot everywhere and clumsy details everywhere. I actually hope they turn it into a beauty with the facelift, whatever they have to do I don't care at this point.


M

You just confirmed my complaint. So which one is it, Mercedes is rearranging the entire design because "facelifts need to have drastic changes" or because Mercedes is admitting they F'ed up the E-Class?

My complaint is that M-B's uber-extensive facelifts, changing doors, hoods, entire dashboards, etc. look like they obviously do not stand behind their product, and don't feel they designed them well enough to last long enough on the market. The MANY people who pick the E-Class (best seller in its class in U.S, reversing how significantly the E60 sold over the W211, i.e pulling momentum back toward the E nameplate) clearly appreciate the standout features that don't blend into the mass design idiom of current Sedans designs so much like the 5 Series or A6, so it's an extra slap in the face by M-B to them. They now have 2 choices: Get into a new one, or say "screw these guys, I don't want to spend $60K then have my car completely redesigned (NOT simply facelifted, EXTENSIVELY facelifted to the point of having clear differences) in just 3-4 years, so I'll look elsewhere).

I personally wouldn't mind M-B blanding up the new E with eliminating the Ponton crease on the sides, and the 4 eyes, as those are two features that I predict will keep me happier with the pre-facelift and save me $$$$ from going with the facelift (just like the 2012's boring straight LED's wouldn't have me buying that), however, it's still a bad business model.

No that question is for you. Again, if the current design is so desireable and "distinctive" as you put it, why are they changing it? I don't have a problem with how they do facelifts, so the question is for you not me.

Secondly you really seem lost on Mercedes beyond what you're able to grasp from a few articles here and there. Again, for the umpteenth time Mercedes has done extensive facelifts before. Interiors have been changed before also. When have you seen Mercedes change the doors on a facelift? You're not going to see the door shape or size change, only the body panel. Again something they've done before. Oh, you're speculating about the upcoming facelift of the E. Nothing more. They have changed hoods during facelifts since the 80's man! Where have you been. Look at 1993 300E and then a 1994 E320, the hood, grille, and lights all changed dramatically!


I happen to agree with you about their design being better, hell I'm not even looking at a Mercedes anymore, but all gloom and doom talk is ridiculous. How do you know why the majority of E-Class buyers buy an E-Class? Have you spoken with them or have some type of research that backs this up? Again, more speculation.

I don't think a good facelift is going to hurt anything, extensive or not. Now making the car uglier yes that will hurt extensive facelift or not.


M

That's my question as well, which is the whole point! Why change it if it's so good from the get-go? The W212 has pulled sales from BMW in the U.S, something the W211 got trampled on, yet M-B *if they do such an extensive lift* look like they're doing an about face. Changing the door panels, recreating the headlights, etc. are big changes. If they just do one or the other, I'd say it would be more inline with previous M-B extensive facelifts, but both, along with who knows what else would change the character of the car too much.

My assumption is that they needed a design with bold details to garner attention toward it, and then to fend off the naysayers who don't like them, they will simplify and "align the car with other cars around it more closely" for the facelift, ensuring a less polarizing reaction and maybe bringing in those buyers who didn't like the distinctive details so much. Hmm, maybe I made a good case for the business model myself.

A good facelift of course won't hurt anything. But such extensive changes will only "hurt" the customers who drive the original version, if they care (like I said, as long as I don't like the facelift, it would give me more incentive to hold onto my car, yet the fact remains some are not like me).

Also, are you kidding me? Lol. I not only spend stupid amounts of time on E-Class boards, and researching all-things-E, but I've had 3 so far, I've been on both sides of the "love/hate" field of the W212 myself, I've payed attention to sales, I've heard countless comments toward the two I've had, I hang out on 5-Series boards and participate in E related threads. I'd say I have enough outside knowledge on this car to give M-B bonafide marketing research on it (in fact, M-B Advisors uses me for that very thing. )

Ok same as everyone else on these boards, including me. Yet people who hang on these boards is only a small fraction of the buyers out there. Most of them don't come here or to any mesg board.


M

I say wait until the car debuts and then get all worked up about it. Till then I just can't worry or care enough about this anymore. Its pointless until we see the car. You still don't get it that Mercedes has change headlights, hoods etc. before. You keep ignoring that simple fact. Sigh.


M

Yes, I guess we'll see. Either way it won't sway me much on a personal level, 'cause I'm not getting an E facelift no matter how nice it may be.... unless it really blows me away at least (because I've already had 2 W212's), so it's this one I have or try something else. If it's ugly to me, makes my life easier. I just don't like the idea of M-B "desecrating" their original designs so blatantly by changing so many things around. Sure they've done it before, but it's all about how they execute it in regards to whether the original version (or the facelifted version) can keep its "dignity". M-B are always about slow, evolutionary and progressive updates, even when they've been technically extensive (again, all about how they execute it).

WELT ONLINE
W120/121 (1953-1962) ("Ponton"), W110 (1961-1968), W114/115 (1968-1976), W123 (1976-1985), W124 (1984-1996), W210 (1995-2002),
W211 (2002-2009), W212 (2009->>)


Some comments from Auto & Design


Mercedes-Benz Classe E, a return to classicism
n. 176 - 2009 by Wim Oude Weernink





Any new Mercedes-Benz is a milestone in automotive history for the simple reason that it comes from the world’s oldest car maker. But within Mercedes circles, it is the E-class which carries on the German design tradition more than any other model from the Stuttgart firm because it has been the backbone of the range for more than five decades.

The new E-class design concept also applies to the new coupe version which was shown at the Geneva show together with the new saloon. In addition to the overall new E-class design themes the coupe features an additional aesthetic attractiveness through its similarity with the elegant silhouette of the CLS sports saloon.

Who else but Gorden Wagener, head of Daimler Design and responsible for the new E-class could better answer key questions about the new E-class design background.

So what were the design briefs for the new E class only six years after the previous version?

“As you can see, the new E class makes a leap forward to a more organic form. But at the same time, important Mercedes styling cues, in particular the radiator grille and the twin headlamps, have been re-interpreted in a more modern way, for the purpose of making the model instantly recognisable as an E-class. It allowed our design team perfect freedom to exploit new and creative ideas.”

This is about the W212 LCI?

Suspect looking back at Mercedes-Benz often hints at what's to come in the future. "E-class which carries on the German design tradition more than any other model from the Stuttgart...", and "...new E class makes a leap forward to a more organic form...", means the facelift might not necessarily become much more organic, since the E design team (Karlheinz Bauer, Jürgen Bollmann) seems to think the W212 is already more organic than the predecessors. Suspect it will retain e.g. the ponton flanks and the twin headlamp look, but the latter might be confined to within the headlamp housing similar to the W123 (1976-1985) shown above? That's just a guess, however; not based on any inside info or the like. Refining and sharpening the E personality.

That's odd that he calls it "more organic" than the W211. I like the W212 design even more than the W211 (which says a LOT because I adore the timeless and absolutely perfect W211), but the W212 I assumed wasn't even supposed to be close to as organic looking as the W211. The design is more "alive", but it's much more brutally angular and mechanical looking as well.

Holy crap! First visual real life confirmation that the Ponton crease is going wayside. Now I'm exceptionally happy, because I KNOW I won't want a facelift.

The tail light graphics will be the same as the one on the face-lifted GLK. The white reverse light located on the lower edge.

I was about to say the same haha. But as with every model, I am going to give the facelift a chance until I see it in person.
Nevertheless, the 2010-2013 E-Class will always be my favorite till the world ends.