C-Class (W204) Mercedes-Benz W204 C-Class Product Update/Facelift (Spy pics & info)

[Human]

Nooo... hideous headlights are a reality it seems.

On our way to Durban for the Currie Cup final last Saturday (14 of us in a Toyota Quantum GL) one sees many new cars on the road and hideous headlights was high on the agenda of discussion, thats until the Brandy+Cola kicked-in I was dedicated driver and listened to comments on how most of men the opposed the 'overdone' and 'too fuzzy' headlight/daytime driving light designs.


IMO the interior is a HUGE improvement. For the rest, the W204 C-class has been a great design from the start and the option of Elegance and Avantgarde grill designs is a great concept for choice!

 

[fortuner]

Excellent facelift by Mercedes benz definately one off the best face lifts they have done recently.

The interior is up a level yet behind the E and not a copy off the E which is perfectly done by MB.

The headlights many seem not to like it i agree the pic on page ( with the goldish car headlights had me worried but the latest pics i think it is stunning and i think also very classy actually overall with teh front and interior its like the C has moved up a level in my view.

The rear looks good i was hoping for more effort on the lights but will wait for a more etailed pic this one isnt the greatest to judge.

Overall i say ita a perfect facelift and well done MB

 

[Top Secret]

Looks fantastic. The headlights look a lot better than expected as well - inevitably helped by the heavy post-production on the image. And they fixed the interior as well; hallelujah! Now, if they've replaced the aged 5-speed automatic transmission on the C200/250 CGI models, MB will have addressed all the issues with the current C-Class range. Let's hope so.

 

[Tarek]

I think the originals headlights were perfect for the car, and not dated at all really. The new ones look different, but aside from being fresher to our eyes due to such newness, I don't know how the different shape, from a blank-canvas mind in a design standpoint, is fresher looking. I am shocked that the W204 might have the dual X-Mas tree LED's up front (fogs, and headlights) like the W221, while the W212 doesn't? Seems from a tech standpoint to not make sense.

I don't know how I feel about them, but aside from them, this is a perfect update. Not different enough to make anyone notice drastic changes (who aren't paying attention), so the car remains with the same character, but perfect little nuances that just keep it fresh in the market.

Now, as for the interior, this is practically a STATEMENT from M-B admitting guilt to their horrid gaffe in trying to act as if the original W204's interior is fit for even the lowest of the low from the Mercedes brand. I've never seen an interior update to extensive, for very good reason.

Don't worry the W212 will get those LED units with the FL,remember W212 had the LED fogs before the S-Class.

As for the interior,yeah it looks better now but IMO it was flawless in the beginning.The quality was great at with best in segment it's the design that didn't appeal to everyone.

A very nice FL indeed.

 

[SKY]

It´s going to be interesting to see what they have in mind for the W212 E-Class FL, since I ain´t know a single person who has not crtisized the rear of that car, something which is not specially easy to redesign.

 

[Tarek]

It´s going to be interesting to see what they have in mind for the W212 E-Class FL, since I ain´t know a single person who has not crtisized the rear of that car, something which is not specially easy to redesign.

Weird..coz very few i know who has..anyway expect some minor graphic update.

 

[dtd]

All I can say is the shape of the FL C is very close to the 2011 CL. I hope they don't raise the price too much.Just look at the value of the US dollar vs the Euro today.
dtd

 

[Cashmere]

wow, i wasnt aware the C class was due for such a heavy frontal facelift. Like the new look.

 

[bmwownage]

i can't believe they changed the interior this much, it's very impressive! it's enough to be the next C's interior imo. IMO the existing C's interior is the weakest part of the car, it just doesn't look to have the class that it should have, in fact it looks more like some budget model rather than a premium executive.. but now, fixed, more like the E's... i don't really like the screen implentation but still, at least it looks way more upscale.

Headlights - dislike the shape (it doesn't need it) and the graphics is kinda Audi.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Wow, the interior looks top-notch. The headlights don't look very Benz-ish. I prefer if they updated the pre-FL like how they updated the S-class' headlight rather than sticking an all-new headlight unit. As tennmb said, this looks like it was done for the sake of tinkering. The current headlights are simple yet regal. If they had to tinker with anything, I'd prefer they'd give the rear a bit more substance as I've thought the rear was its weakest point.

 

[K-A]

It´s going to be interesting to see what they have in mind for the W212 E-Class FL, since I ain´t know a single person who has not crtisized the rear of that car, something which is not specially easy to redesign.

I wonder what they'll do with the W212's F.L as well.

Aside from the normal stuff: Steering wheel, some switches/gauges/something, wheels, etc. I'm thinking they'll give the headlights a new LED look, rear will definitely remain the same I'm sure, except for some different light graphics, and maybe a slightly different bumper/exhaust design. Front will have a standard evolution of the AMG bumper (and elegance), and I wonder what they might do to the front grille, M-B always enlarges their grilles, but the W212's grille is already so big and dominant, and perfectly proportioned with the headlights, I wonder if they'll even tough it.... Maybe tweak the design/amount of slats?

 

[klier]

I don't know about those headlights. They look OK, but I didn't really want the shape to change, since it was perfect since the beginning...
The interior is a massive upgrade, and overall this is a very nice facelift I would say.

Now we have to wait for the C coupe to leak

It´s going to be interesting to see what they have in mind for the W212 E-Class FL, since I ain´t know a single person who has not crtisized the rear of that car, something which is not specially easy to redesign.

Important: standard visible exhausts on ALL models. The E without exhaust looks ugly from the rear, simple as that.
And like the others said, different graphics for the lights I guess.....but this is Mercedes, and they can do anything, you never know. The C headlights were perfect yet they still decided to change them. Maybe they will change the rear of the FL E radically too, who knows??

 

[NarutoRamen]

If this is what it looks like, then I like it. Those front lights really are great.

 

[SKY]

Important: standard visible exhausts on ALL models. The E without exhaust looks ugly from the rear, simple as that.
And like the others said, different graphics for the lights I guess.....but this is Mercedes, and they can do anything, you never know. The C headlights were perfect yet they still decided to change them. Maybe they will change the rear of the FL E radically too, who knows??

Yep, it could be, and I agree with the exhaust visible in all models. But just think about what BMW or Mercedes use to change in their LCIs, just easy changes, as the part of the lights located on the bootlid or on the hood (as the FL E90 or ad this FL W204), the bumpers, and maybe the side skirts, but not so much more.

But who knows, just look Audi with the A6 and its completly redesigned rear end.

 

[Michael]

I am not a big fan of the headlights. To be honest, it reminds me of the early 2000s facelifts.

 

[coolraoul]

I've always loved the W204, and imo there were two things to improve with an FL: putting full-LEDS rear lights, and changing the interior.

Seems it is what they did, as the spypics revealed LED braking lights, and the interior has been heavily modified (the whole upperdash and the center console!!!).

So, the interior is now much much more upscale. I hope the tactile quality improved too from the hard, slightly oily material previously used, without decreasing the excellent fit and finish.

That ugly pop-up screen gone, that bit of wood added for longitudinal goodness, that new steering, this is all perfect.

Now the exterior: rear lights I can't really judge, but on the spypics they looked awesome; bit darker and full of LEDs.

I don't like the big SL-like diffuser at the back of the AMG-packed. Speaking of which, I find the AMG pack a tad too agressive.

The LED DRL in the air intakes are a bit too obvious, too shiny, too fat in fact. I think. Why not using the LEDs in the main headlamp and get rid of them?

The headlights, well... I don't feel they needed to change their shape, but why not. Looks good.
The inner design is very interesting: only one projector lense, and the rest seems like a reduced version of the LED shape found in the CLS. And it seems they have a dark surrounding. All that makes them very interesting, very modern, but a bit "empty" on some pics.

I cannot really judge with such poor quality pics, but overall that is a stunning update to an already fantastic car.

The car's few weaknesses have been more than adressed!

 

[SKY]

In the latest Autozeitung there are pics of the interior with the Avantgarde trim and wooow, it has the CLS steering wheel, and black wood. The seats have a new design too. It looks amazing, best interior in class by a mile.

 

[Shining Star]

Hoping that AZ will post individual photos soon...

 

[Tarek]

Wow indeed..the Avantgarde interior is gorgeous!

 

[K-A]

They're definitely gearing up for the upcoming 3'er. Although, the W204 will only have to battle it for 2 MY's.