RJC

Aside from the possible LED change and the engine, does anyone know of anything else for the 2012's; maybe a material upgrade for the dash plastics etc? Coupe or Cab.

Thanks

K-A

I'm not sure if they've released anything like that. Maybe some tech upgrades here or there, but doubtful that they'll change up anything inside, aside from maybe new colors or something.

Victor

Hello All,

I am not trying to hijack this thread but I am also interested in 2012 Mercedes E-class. The salesman I was talking to the dealership in Vancouver, BC area confirmed that new engines (6 cyl and 8 cyl) will be offered for 2012 model.

I am interested in v8 E-class and according to CarcostCanada on a 2011 E550 there is about $10000 CDN profit (i.e. difference between invoice and MSRP). Would like to know how much people were able to save by purchasing a e-class in Vancouver area especially 2011 E550?

As in Vancouver area almost all the stores are corporate owned they do not care much to provide discount seems like they have monopoly in Vancouver area. I will appreciate peoples input on how much I should be able to save on a 2012 E-class?

Thanks in advance.

BPhillyBenz

Good question...don't know if they are going to raise the price point for the 2012's according to the new engines (it will probably be a bigger increase than last years)...however, I am sure I will be jealous once they are on the road.

RJC

Nothing released officially but the rumors about the engines proved accurate and I think the front LED's will as well. I have heard a few say the plasitcs of the 212 are not as nice a the 211's...I thought the dash plastics, pattern and texture were great on my '06 E55...any former 211 owners here?

WGB

There have been reports of the V6 direct injection V6 and the twin turbo 4.7 litre V8 coming with the 2012 as well as some drive reports that say the new 4.7 TT has lots of low end torque but is not as pleasant up the top end as the 5.5.

Fuel consumption or the official quoted versions of Fuel consumption are what that is all about as well as marketing. It will be interesting to see what real world improvements are made.

I like my 5.5 litre so I see no need to complicate the relationship with a pair of turbochargers.

I would think upgrades like leather dash etc will be in another couple of year when the car is at mid series and they usually do a major update.

Bill

RJC

Can you post a linky to the reports?

Performance will improve through the extra 20 HP and the big increase in torque by 50 lb ft.

Im not looking for a leather dash option just better plastics

K-A

I'm a former W211 owner, and I could go all day about dash plastics, but I'm too tired, lol.

Definitely no plastics changes, the W212 will probably 100% go through its whole life-cycle with identical interior materials. Of course, little tweaks or styling changes, maybe slight material changes in some areas not withstanding.

RJC

Yup

On another note...I just read the transmission gets a nice set of refinements and stronger internals for '12.

WGB

My knowledge come from December and January editions of the UK based "Mercedes Enthusiast" magazine that I get airmailed to Australia.

Latest edition has a roadtest of the 4.7 twin turbo motor which will replace the 5.5 litre where it talks about more low end torque but not such a nice top end..

Bill

K-A

Really? That's news to me. What did they say exactly?

golfster

Hi RJC,

Could you post a link or reference to the article?

TIA,
Golfster

RJC

Here's the info for the '11 CL550 which has the new TT 4.6L engine and refinements to the seven speed trans which will carry over to the rest of the cars with the new TT 4.6L engines...note the 600 will still be using the 5 speed to handle its massive torque.


The new engine in the 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550 is mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission which has undergone significant revision, while V12 models retain the proven five-speed automatic transmission due to their extremely high torque at low engine speeds. The DIRECT-SELECT lever on the steering column enables the driver to select “P”, “N”, “R” and “D” by nudging the selector. The operating commands are transferred electronically by wire.

A new hydraulic circuit and optimized torque converter characteristics also help to improve efficiency and performance. A further consumption-cutting measure is a new lower-viscosity automatic transmission fluid (ATF), which has a longer life yet the same cooling performance. As a result, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550 4MATIC only needs a transmission fluid change every 78,000 miles.

The optimized electrohydraulic control unit of the transmission and new reducedfriction materials in various parts of the transmission in combination with optimized software provide greater shifting comfort.


Some info on the new TT engine in the CL application; it appears MB is using the latest version of DFI which should make it less problematic than the first DFI engines used by Audi, Porsche and BMW...

With its 4,663 cubic centimeters of displacement the new V8 biturbo engine in the 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550 4MATIC features BlueDIRECT technology and delivers impressive power. The eight-cylinder engine produces 429 hp so that despite 0.8 liters less displacement, it is still around 12 percent more powerful than its predecessor. At the same time, torque was raised to 516 lb-ft – an increase of 32 percent. The Mercedez-Benz CL550 4MATIC requires a mere 4.8 seconds to accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph. In summary, the 2011 CL550 4MATIC is significantly more agile, torquey and fuel efficient than its predecessor.

The BlueDIRECT technology of the V8 biturbo includes an impressive combination of new developments such as third generation spray-guided direct gasoline injection with piezo injectors and multi-spark ignition with up to four ignition sparks within a millisecond.

RJC

Bill,

Please scan and post...thnx


Some excerpts from the Car and Driver short test; the CL550 is faster than the CL63 in 0-60 and equally as fast in the QM!

Not that the CL550 is slow. No, no. It scoots from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, bettering the pace of the CL63 we tested in October 2007 by 0.1 second, and covers a quarter-mile in an equal 12.8 seconds.

But frisky is not what comes to mind when hustling the CL along some twisty stretch of unknown back road. The car has plenty of grip, well-controlled body motions, and powerful brakes, but the combination of SUV mass and steering that’s a little numb makes it tricky to place this big coupe precisely on apex-clipping expeditions.

On the other hand, plenty of smooth power—instantly available, as linear as an aircraft carrier launch—is hard to resist, and the seven-speed automatic makes the most of  it.

K-A

Ah, seems like the "refinements" are probably extra reinforcements so it can handle the new V8 TT's Torque. I now wonder (and doubt that) if the V6's has extra refinements.

Then again, M-B never really nailed it with the 7G, so maybe it will. It's a great transmission, but they've NEVER gotten the "S" mode to work smoothly. I've had an '06, and '10, and both have been less than perfect in "S" mode.

chilledbenz

It will almost certainly get a new dash sooner rather than later. The 2012 C,ML,CLS and SLK receive new dash and button layouts. So, the E class can't be too far behind if they are going on four year refresh cycles.

K-A

Actually that's not entirely correct.

M-B goes with 7 year cycles, with facelifts in between, that have very minor interior changes.

The W204 C-Class is a unique situation, as its interior was such an unacceptable POS (to put it rudely, but honestly IMO), Mercedes had to do their most extensive interior revision for a facelift ever.... In fact, I don't think I've ever seen such an interior makeover for just a facelift.

If history repeats itself, the W212 will certainly not get a new dash at all, maybe just some little tweaks here or there for the facelift on certain materials, etc.

Those cars you're naming for 2012 are completely new models, with the exception of the C-Class. The W212 gets replaced in 2017, which is when they'll obviously have a whole new interior/exterior design.

chilledbenz

Well we are all entitled to our own opinions. I'll admit the C interior is quite bad, but the E isn't too far behind. I'm not sure if it had something to do with the Chrysler merger or what, but the models of that era are lacking in MB quality interiors. The C, E and GLK all have the same low rent feel materials on the dash and upper doors. It would appear MB saw the error of its way and is starting to roll out refreshes. With the economy as down as it is, you will start to see manufacturers rolling out updates to models sooner than in years past to get people out there spending their money for the latest and greatest. Its all too easy to put off buying that new car if the new models look the same as your old car.

And your correct, the models I listed were "all new" designs with the exception of the C. I was attempting to convey that they were all getting new radio/dash material/buttons that will most likely end up across the model lineup sooner or later. The E will most likely keep the same over all shape of the dash, but the gauges/trim/steering wheel/radio/dash material and other buttons will be refreshed to keep up with the rest of the lineup. I would consider that a new dash.

The real reason the C got the new dash shape was to incorporate a l.c.d. screen, the current model has a pop up design for navi models thats prone to failure.

K-A

Fact is, the C's new interior just gets the E's dash materials, and some of the lower-rent C stuff mixed in (to keep the E with the upper hand naturally). It does *not* get better materials than the E. The CLS, SLK, etc. all use the same parts bin materials as what's on the E, the C, etc., however, the CLS of course is swathed over in more leather (like last time).

Fact is, the interior materials of the E are very much the "new" way of Mercedes right now, and instead of them moving away from it as you said you perceive, it's very much the opposite, as all new models are adopting the same materials.

About the Chrysler merger, in fact the W212 is the first true model launched (chassis and all) completely after the Chrysler merger, so it's all "Benz", and the W211, etc. all were built during the merger. Not saying that I believe that the merger affected M-B's quality all so much (I think that was a product of the Schremp era, merger, et al).

What the W212 probably will get, is the silver painted buttons under the head unit, that the CLS/SLK/Facelift C, etc. are getting (unless M-B finds it more appropriate to keep them monochromatic black for the car), and maybe some other little stuff like that.

I would be shocked if they changed the actual material, and really don't see that happening at all. Maybe they will offer a Leather dash option, which would be more realistic IMO.

I do agree with you about the materials, they don't feel as refined and premium as the earlier models. "Low-Rent" describes some of them as well. However, they aren't cheap in a chintzy, actual "cheap" way. In fact, I think the quality in terms of tactility and lasting value/durability is far ahead of the models before it, but it just doesn't feel as "Luxurious", in the soft touch, elegant, and even delicate sense. It's a little crude here and there now, but it feels like it'll outlast a human being.

If we could get the best of both worlds, that would be ideal. But I think M-B is sticking with this for now, for better or worse. I actually have grown to love the interior, and appreciate the confidence it gives me in that it needs little maintenance. For the record, even with the CLS's fancier materials here and there, I heard that one magazine article claimed it didn't feel as "exclusive and elegant from the rest of the range, like it did before", or something like that. So it seems the new interior theme and materials are certainly underlying the CLS as well.

golfster

It looks to me like the C's new interior was designed to mimmick the E and the rest of the new interiors. High placement of the Comand System, finally ridding the car of the afterthought pop-up display. The spy shots of the ML, the release photos of the new SLK, etc., have that newer design element present in the E. It will be interesting to see the new S interior, when the car is released.

Eaosdad

My friend is a MB tech. He told me it will be a turbo engine instead!

ipp

To me it almost looks like they used the E-Coupé's interior? And that must have been quite convenient since the E-Coupé is basically the same car as the C-Class.

petee1997

K-A you are absolutely right. This E class is all new after the Chrysler experiment and built with great quality and reliability. I doubt any significant design changes like a new dash will happen in the upcoming facelift. Usually the changes are very minor and unnoticeable.

AMGTTV8

Wouldn't go with 100% just yet....

Only reason I challenge your statement is because of the C-Class..

Historically, I would agree with you as MB has never done a face-lift which changes surfaces and quality of materials on the inside.

Recency shows us that this philosophy may be changing, as the C-Class is getting pretty much a full interior makeover in MY 2012.

Just my thoughts.

Hope all is well,

Chris

rovermark

Maybe the economy is "down" in the United States, but the rest of the world has moved on, and business is good, so I would not use that as an argument for Mercedes to update it's dashboard for the E-class. The current dashboard is current compared to the competitors BMW and Audi.

As to the C-class update, that was exceptional by any manufacturer standards, and I suspect simply to ensure that it remains current relative to the competition in this very important car - there is no word that the dash plastics have in fact improved in any way (and for all I know, the may have a cheaper feeling to them now). Mercedes has also started offering the same Assist systems on the C-class now..maybe that was a strong motivating factor (update dash to sell be able to offer and sell more expensive electrical systems available on the E-Class, for which they need to recuperate R+D costs and earn above that). Therefore, I do not believe updating the dashboard is a strategy that will or needs to be employed on the E-Class.

I personally would prefer not-as-nice dashboard materials, but a solid, robust and reliable car that earned Mercedes it's reputation. Spend money where it matters (and that usually means the things you cannot see), rather than design a brittle car full of issues (Volkswagen anyone? ... previously on cars with materials that set the benchmark even above Mercedes, but were horrible on reliability)