Stats provided by Dealer Ordering Guide.

Standard Equipment Highlights:

3.0L V6 (Diesel) for E350 BlueTEC: 210 hp / 400 lb-ft
New 3.5L V6 for E350 / E350 4MATIC / E350 4MATIC Wagon: 302 hp / 273 lb-ft
New 4.6L bi-turbo V8 for E550 4MATIC: 402 hp / 443 lb-ft
7G-TRONIC PLUS 7-speed automatic
New hand-built 5.5L bi-turbo V8 (w/ ECO Stop/Start) for E63 AMG / E63 AMG Wagon: 518 hp / 516 lb-ft (550 hp / 590 lb-ft with AMG Performance Package)
MCT 7-speed multi-clutch automatic
LED Daytime Running Lamps are standard for E350 and E550 4MATIC. Both E350 and E550 4MATIC will have the standard straight bar design that was an option on the E350 Luxury in MY11. This applies to both Sport and Luxury for E350.
New steering wheels no longer necessitate complex rules for Driver Assistance Package - also new Lane Tracking Package
Color instrument cluster
Media interface relocated to center console
E550 4MATIC no longer has AIRMATIC standard (or available)
E550 4MATIC Sport only for MY12 – larger brakes require 18” wheels, so Luxury is no longer possible
Electromechanical steering standard on 4MATICs and V8s (including AMG) Note: Active Parking Assist is not available until MY14
Driver’s side multicontour seat is now standard on E63 AMG / E63 AMG Wagon
LED license plate lighting


Optional Equipment Highlights:
DISTRONIC PLUS, Active Lane Keeping Assist, and Active Blind Spot Assist (Driver Assistance Package)
Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist (Lane Tracking Package)
Bi-Xenon headlights with active curve illumination (Premium 2 Package)
KEYLESS-GO (Premium 2 Package)
PARKTRONIC (with Parking Guidance)

 

Is that the steering that is currently only available on the 4matic?
Or is that the crappy steering that is is currly standard for all other cars that they have now made standard on the 4matic?

 

I had hoped for a Flux Capacitor option.

 

wow, there's a couple nice upgrades it seems: engine obviously for 550....extra 20 horses....
interesting about airmatic..hmmmmm, why no more?
...color cluster would be a neat change...
wonder how the badging would look with biturbo..

and I still like the the hockey drl's.......there isn't anything else out there shaped like that...

 

It is odd that MB will not even offer Airmatic suspension as an option on E550.

May be this is one way to offset the US$ loosing value that they remove the equipment and keep the price same so to the consumer it looks like that the price of the vehicle has not changed.

I have deposit down for 2012 E-class in Canada and I spoke to my sales person after reading this post, he is saying that Mercedes Canada still has not released any information yet.

Since Mercedes E-class in Canada are equipped and priced differently I hope for Canada they still come with Airmatic and 4matic and new engine.

 

Thanks for this info.

Looks like I'll be getting some LED license plate lights as they're easy and cheap enough to do. I'd love the color display too, big improvement over our cars, but not sure if it's an available upgrade.

So new ones will all get the straight LED's? Including Sports? That would be great, as our '10's and '11's will have a bit more of a unique and rare look for the W212's.

 

Maybe I missed it, but I read the above as saying that the airmatic will not be available only on the E550 4matic.

 

Looks like my decision to order a 2011 E550 Luxury rather than wait for the 2012's was the right one. I pick it up Monday.

A bird-in-the-hand as they say

 

I also read it as the E550 only in 4Matic.

 

You don't say whether you are getting the 4matic, but I read the OP as only the 4matic will not be available in luxury.

 

Here's how i read it. E550 only comes in 4Matic and no AirMatic.

My new 2011 is a rear wheel drive, LUXURY E550 with AirMatic and it will arrive on Monday as fresh as a new born baby.

 

I will be probably be buying in mid-June. Historically, how much do the current year models drop in price and when can we expect to see the 2012?

 

Seems MBUSA's getting lazier and lazier with this car.

Now they won't even offer a Luxury Package to be individualized from the Sport masses when getting an E550 4Matic, and M-B will be cutting costs by not providing the unique-to-the-model Hockey Stick LED's on Sport W212's, instead using the corporate model-wide straight LED's so the Sport and Luxury models have the same parts.

 

Sorry to keep piling questions on amaycg, but if you happen to know:

- Can the 2012 E350 be ordered immediately and when are first deliveries expected in the U.S.?

- Are prices going up on the 2012?

- Are there EPA mileage numbers available for the new engine?

I'm painfully deliberating on whether to get the 2011 E350 I ordered a couple months ago or wait for the 2012.

Thanks,
Voy

 

I think it is more likely that they know which models are selling with which options in each market. I know folks that would love to have an E550, but, do not want the complexities of the airmatic. The change in LEDs is just so superficial that I am having trouble wrapping my head around any issues with this change. MB wants to grab back some of the market share they gave away to Lexus over the past decade or two. How is it different than BMW releasing a 6 cylinder 7 series after the V12 and V8? or Audi offering a 4 cylinder A5 after the initial offering. These moves are not to cheapen the line but to broaden the accessibility. All good sound moves in my honest opinion.

 

I think it's a bad and lazy idea to force anyone who wants an E550 4Matic to get a Sport Package. What ever happened to aesthetic variation from Mercedes? Back in the day, they had numerous options, to get the car aesthetically how you wanted it. I realize this isn't cost-effective, but that was part of the passion from a Premium brand. Sure they have to cut costs and makes things simpler to survive, but that doesn't mean that they should cut aspects of the car that will cater to enthusiasts.

About the LED's, they're obviously offering the straight ones as it costs more to produce two (Hockey Sticks, and straighters) for just one model. The Straighters are ubiquitous across the whole range.

That said, as a 2010 E owner, I'm happy about the change, because it gives my car what will be a bit more of an individual LED look, once the later E's get on the roads more. If I was a 2012 buyer, I'd have preferred the more unique-to-the-E Hockey LED's.

 

I think they are saying that the Sport package is required because the brakes will be bigger. I love bigger brakes! Wouldn't want to give up my airmatic though!

 

They could put on bigger wheels and keep the suspension and styling as a Luxury model though, as they've done before (and do in Europe). Again, I don't see any other reason to this as laziness and to be realistic, cost-effectivness.

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. Option packages/restrictions are frustrating, and it would be nice to choose a la carte so one can get exactly what one wants. For me, the greatest disappointment was finding out that the E63 was unavailable in 4matic. I would've bought one in a heartbeat. The need for the safety given the weather where I live trumps the glorious sounds and looks of the E63.

 

all the AMG dont have 4matic

but audi's S models have quartto

 

We were discussing this point in the 'suspension' thread. The choice of options and packages for the E is already poor (especially in Canada), so the seemingly smaller choice for 2012 is very disappointing.

Not impressed.

 

The excuse out of Montvale is that dealers don't want a lot of options. My salesman told me that 90% of their business is leasing and their customers all want the Sport Package. So if you add the P1 package and offer color choices, that's about all they have to worry about so far as inventory.

At least I've had a reasonable choice if I ordered my car but in 2011 they reduced the interior color options. Our 2008 E350 had a beautiful cashmere interior that included the dash, doors, carpet and roof but when I ordered my 2011, all I could get was a black interior with only the seats and small door inserts as variables. The interior looked weird with anything but black seats so that's what I ordered.

Now the 2012 models come along and options are even more restricted.

 

Unfortunately, as I understand, none of the Audi's have Distronic Plus, which was by far the #1 reason I chose MB.

 

Agreed. Options variables seem to be extremely lazy in Canada, even worse than the U.S, with the W212!

BMW's F10 has a "regular", a "Sport", AND an M-Sport. M-B used to do the same thing with the W211, now they just care about mass-fleet sale'ing this car out, even if it means restricting Options, and catering to the popular vote enough to not offer variations. I understand the cost effectiveness, but a car brand spending a dime to keep things interesting for enthusiasts goes a long way. Again, BMW still does it, and M-B used to do it.

BudC: Another great point. Why the interior limitations? Do they not understand that keeping it so that every W212 on the road has the exact same interior combo, ruins the "wow" and Premium factor of said car? The W211 had many different interior combo's, and that kept it much more interesting when looking inside, or choosing between which one you want.

Not impressed in the least when it comes to this.

 

The reason is spelled out, the brakes are being enlarged and a 17" wheel can no longer clear the rotor from what it seems to be and an 18" wheel is required to make it work right. As for the airmatic I am not sure, could be a drivetrain packaging issure or laziness. As for the LEDs it probably is in the chase for the almighty dollar but it would be short-sighted if they keep the 'sticks for the ROW markets and limited it in the US. As for customer requests its mainly P1 with the occasional person asking for P2... and a handful of non P1 or P2 cars a year and the P2 sales went down when they put the LEDs standard for sport models in 2011. Honestly they should axe P2 and put the auto trunk closer, xenons and keyless go as seperate options.