E-Class (W212/C207/A207) [Official] Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W212) Facelift

[MAJESTIC]

Exactly, I remember hearing what Wagener said about M-B's future direction and I looked up where I thought I had heard that before.... turns out BMW had said that when the F01 generation was coming out. Regardless of where any of us stand on what we like better, there's no doubt that BMW are the modern day design leaders between the two, especially within the industry as they're the ones being copied these days, like M-B was back in the 80's and 90's, with M-B not being copied much if at all these days. Audi as well, heralded within the industry as leaders, getting their designers poached, and being copied. I don't think I've heard of ANYONE poaching M-B designers.... IMO it tells you how the industry perceives where M-B design is at.

I think they have an uphill battle and hope they at least find a design language once and for all to iconicize once again, and I truly hope their idea for that isn't the "dropping line".

Yeah, that's right, that's what I remember them saying about the S as well, which basically is their way of saying it's still probably partially a Pfieffer design. Sounds like by M-B's own admission, the next C will TRULY be the next styling language of M-B. We're gonna have a pretty discordant lineup possibly until the late "Teens" if that's the case I think.

Lol.

 

[K-A]

No...I just could care less who copies Mercedes.

It's actually an important concept to watch if you really were concerned with M-B being regarded as design leaders from within the inside. If M-B aren't being copied, and you don't hear of M-B designers being poached like you keep hearing BMW and Audi designers, that says a lot about where M-B design is at within the industry.

Of course, that doesn't mean you have to think or feel the same way. It does validate criticisms, however. M-B once were the most copied brand in the world.

 

[Tumbo]

I just wanna state my opinion. I think it looks horrible. This will be what A8 is for Audi, and 1er for BMW. Their ugly child.

 

[rollo]

I have been watching this discourse for a while and would like to add my humble two cents (long term BMW customer).

I think the car looks much better after the facelift. As martinbo said earlier, it looks more contemporary and to me much more sporty, especially in the version with the star on the grille instead of the hood. The interior looks much improved as well.

I find it much more appealing and will now consider this when my 5 series lease is over.

 

[MBFanToDeath]

Where did you get that from? That looks very good, never thought I would say it, but maybe the E coupe will look better after the FL. I actually think it will look a lot better after the FL (unlike the sedan). Those headlights look great, and if that stupid fender flare is gone and the slightly change the rear lights too, we could have a real winner here.

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[Merc1]

That sport model actually looks good. I think this E-Class will go down as a winner for the second half of its life. The original looks like the mess it is now.

M

 

[SEIDELMAUS]

Hello to all! The last months I was a frequent reader in here, following your discussions with much interest.

First I would like to say, I really like the Facelift. For me the E-Class was allways behind it's competitors, at least in design. I was in love with the new BMW 5 series since it came out, and I asked myself, why the E-Class on the opposite has to look so old-fashioned. Personally spoken, with this FL the E is now finally on a par, or at least not much below.

One question: somewhere I rode that with the Facelift Mercedes is introducing a new nine-gear-automatic-clutchbox (is this a proper word at all?), can anyone confrm this?

Oh, and another question: does Mercedes finally have something like KeylessGo in their repertoire (as an option)? Because on this picture there is some kind of button instead of the classical device for the ignition key.

 

[bmwownage]

I have been watching this discourse for a while and would like to add my humble two cents (long term BMW customer).

I think the car looks much better after the facelift. As martinbo said earlier, it looks more contemporary and to me much more sporty, especially in the version with the star on the grille instead of the hood. The interior looks much improved as well.

I find it much more appealing and will now consider this when my 5 series lease is over.

imo your decision to consider this thing over the F10 is, well..bad at best.

You see I can't say this looks bad, every new car looks new, i mean if you dub "modern" looking as being "good" looking, then OK nothing will ever look bad in the future because things will only get more modern. Thing with this car is it is a big mess..some people couldn't care less. For example I have a female friend who loves the new-era MB, over Audi and BMW, and they thought the older MBs looked crap, why? simply because she couldn't care less about the design history, and the depth..you know, when even the A class got that sports grille that were exclusive to top MB sports model in the history, surely it appeals some, but when people who likes to think think about it, it's disgusting. And specific to this E FL, there is just no coherence. You can tell, when they thought of the W212 preFL, they didn't plan for a FL like this, you can tell obviously that they really tried hard to switch design language all of a sudden to implement their "latest" thinkings. Just look at that hood shutline in the preview pic of the clip above, it doesn't even work, just look at how badly designed it is! and somehow luckily they are going to get away with it because there are too many people who doesn't care. I don't know man, feeling is that MB feels too insecure with their designs, i mean this is a complete change of character of the car which a FL shouldn't really do, and the reason is maybe they are not confident to wait another few years to bring out an all new model? i don't know.

About the copying thing, you got to admit, BMW was the leader in a lot of respects some years back, they were being copied or at least "inspired". Stuff like a side character line (BMW tradition), flame surfacing, chrome surrounds around the full perimeter of the side windows (BMW tradition), clear lens headlights, LED graphics, headlight graphics, short front overhangs, big wheel arches. You see MB is just the latest into everything, e.g. the way they hav these square-ish graphics on its tail lights is like since when? then you think about BMW and even Audi, BMW had its first interpretation of its current horizontal line graphics since the E39 FL, and the current graphics is an interpretation of its traditional L-shaped headlights, you see i think that's "depth". Now I hear it less but a few years back my friends who don't really care about cars look at Audi's, A4/A5 and said "looks like a BMW". Now i have people saying MBs looking like BMWs, no way i think, BMWs never looked this pathetic. Next thing i think we might see on MB is some bulges on the hood, and a bit later headlights that will join to its big gigantic grille. very possible, look at the Eclass, the headlights are stretched so awfully close to the grille! And one more thing i don't understand how people can live with that hood shut line like that.

Looking at the clip, agree that MB has pretty high tech goodies, and apparently that's all they are selling about this car. 4 minutes of ad, it doesn't really tell me about the car, all it tells me is headlights and all the electronic assist stuff.

 

[MBFanToDeath]

 

[lukeswiss]

One question: somewhere I rode that with the Facelift Mercedes is introducing a new nine-gear-automatic-clutchbox (is this a proper word at all?), can anyone confrm this?

Oh, and another question: does Mercedes finally have something like KeylessGo in their repertoire (as an option)? Because on this picture there is some kind of button instead of the classical device for the ignition key.

Welcome to the forum, the word you're looking for is gearbox ! And yes, this car is fitted with KeylessGo. So you don't need to remove the key from your pocket

 

[Merc1]

And one more thing i don't understand how people can live with that hood shut line like that.

Looking at the clip, agree that MB has pretty high tech goodies, and apparently that's all they are selling about this car. 4 minutes of ad, it doesn't really tell me about the car, all it tells me is headlights and all the electronic assist stuff.

The same way we live with it on BMWs.


M

 

[MBFanToDeath]

Coupé will have same hood shut line, as on PRE FL.

 

[Der Hofmeister]

It wasn't from the video

Scroll to 1:26 and you will see it.

 

[Benzino]

Well... It's in our human's nature to doubt everything new, even if its nice and looks good. That is just normal.
I know it's the E-class we're talking about here, the executive luxury sedan from MB, so some might say it shouldn't have the sport grille, it doesn't fit the image and tradition of the E-class and it doesn't look good too.
I'm not talking about the design itself because this will take us no where, I read some posts that have so much hate for the sport grille and new AMG kit and for that matter IMO I feel that the new sport grille with AMG kit is the best front end the E-class ever had and the best front end in the entire executive segment by far. That's why I'll be focusing about the strategic decision of having 2 grilles.

Lets not forget all the rejection and doubts that many people had when mercedes introduced the 2 grille strategy on the C-class and we all know the final result for this strategic decision... Huge and tremendous success for the C-class.
Actually.. to be more specific, the broad and diverse characters that mercedes implemented on the C-class with 2 grilles and 3 lines was so successful to an extent that made BMW follow this strategy and implement 3 lines with their most powerful car.. 3 series.
So I'm expecting the same success to happen with the E-class and BMW to follow with the next 5 series..

Now all aside.. Mercedes really did an excellent effort with the E-class, the tech and safety features are top notch.
Wolf... Any info if the E-class will have any magic option.. Sky control or vision control.

Finally, IMO this is the most impressive and complete E-class ever, definitely after adding the sport grille, just keep watching the sales rising and the competitors preparing to follow with a new strategy for their next generations.

 

[K-A]

No, actually the luxury trim doesn't have the shutline, only the sport. The reason the sport trim has it is because the hood is designed around the luxury grille, where it has a thick chrome border. The sport variant doesn't have that, and so to compensate the bumper takes place of the thick chrome.

I'm actually talking about the side shutline. It's very square and big and harsh on the real car. In that picture it's like they put a totally different fender, NO side shutline, and they gave it a very round and curvy-sexy look that the real W212 doesn't have at all (again, it's really a very squared and strong corner with a giant shutline in the middle of it).

 

[K-A]

You see I can't say this looks bad, every new car looks new, i mean if you dub "modern" looking as being "good" looking, then OK nothing will ever look bad in the future because things will only get more modern.

This is an exceptional line. I see people here throw the word "modern" around every time a new car comes out in a complimentary fashion. Of course it looks more modern! It IS more modern! Modern isn't technically a positive (or negative) word, it just describes a current state of time.

 

[tennmb]

Yep, was hoping since they had to redesign hood and front fenders that they'd get rid of the clam shell hood shut line. But nope.

 

[K-A]

Yep, was hoping since they had to redesign hood and front fenders that they'd get rid of the clam shell hood shut line. But nope.

That would have been very nice. IMO the biggest sore spot in any side related view on the W212 pre or post facelift.

 

[K-A]

So are they really using ALL the same rims from the pre-facelift? The Avantgarde pictured before has the same wheels from my 2010 Launch E-Class, and this one pictured has my exact 2011 E wheels, which BTW were available on other M-B's before 2011 I believe.

Just odd considering they did such extensive changes elsewhere and gave it the same exact wheels. To be honest even with all the changes they did like a whole new rear door, in this particular angle with those wheels it doesn't look all so different from the current W212 (obviously the front of this exact car will look like an entirely different car).

 

[rollo]

imo your decision to consider this thing over the F10 is, well..bad at best.

I think your opinion is overly defensive and based on your own personal bias. I have an F10 currently and had 5 BMW's previously so I think I am in a pretty good position to judge my own tastes.

P.S. I am an old fart compared to you guys so comfort is getting to be more important!