K-A

We now see the direction M-B is going in with their upcoming models (yet another 180 degree turn, I'm getting dizzy).

The W205 interior has been "leaked" by M-B and it looks interesting, I'm not too fond of how it imitates the IMO cheapness of the CLA in many ways (and I hope it doesn't get the chintzy plastics from the CLA console) but it certainly is designed in a way as to let go of previous M-B interior designs completely, and appear more full of flair and get across the image that M-B, with their backs to the walls are going to make some drastic changes going forward. With a horrible new interior from the BMW 3 Series which doesn't seem to be designed or crafted or material-selected by the same manufacturer who designs the larger BMW's, the next C might be just what M-B needs (barring exterior design and how it's received, of course) to really "dethrone" the 3 Series.

So I started thinking about how M-B seem to be building up to do some major changes to the next E Class, to really put their foot down and show everyone that "we're not messing around anymore". I feel that the W212 is kind of the kid that M-B created then didn't want (seems during management/design team changeovers there is lots of quiet internal discordance almost immediately after models come out these days, based on rumors and obvious facelift about-face changes, which IMO makes it kind of like Russian-roulette when getting a new M-B in terms of not knowing whether M-B themselves will date it prematurely by doing massive changes again unlike how they used to uphold designs confidently for long periods of time), with the uncharacteristically huge about-face makeover and the fact that the E's design language came and went in record fast time considering how M-B has always moved very carefully and evolutionarily with their designs.

I feel the W213 will be on the outside an evolution of the W212 but on the inside, a completely different animal (again). M-B designers have also stated this ("no more spartan, angular/boxy surfaces"). The keypad will be gone, and unfortunately what is looking like a very tacky and dorky "popup" screen on the CLA and C might be in store. However, I have a feeling that M-B will go all out with the next E in their quest to realizing having to go above and beyond to reclaim the "sales crown" the E Class lineage has always held in worldwide sales yet during the W212 generation, immediately lost to the F10 BMW who soared past it instantly.

In short: Whether or not you feel that the W212 (V1 and/or V2) will go down as one of M-B's bests ever, I'm getting the hope and feeling that the W213 could be a major winner.

K-A

Here's what I'd want from the next gen E to have me get into my 3rd straight generation of E Classes:

-More organic interior with plusher materials that coddle you.

-Ride that isolates everything from the road even in harsher and more challenging circumstances (road surfaces) and claims a no-apologies role of Ride Comfort King OR if not then at least a transformation into an *actual* "Sports Sedan" that feels sharp, tight and sans floaty body roll.

-Coherent, balanced exterior without the current M-B "reverse wedge lines that don't mesh with anything on wedge shaped profiles" trend that I feel will date very fast. Also, a smoother/organic exterior language will be nice after the W212 V1 nailed how a modern angular M-B should look.

-No Star grille option (not appropriate to an E Class, IMO).

-No standup screen.

-19" wheels with AMG Package.

-LARGER screen.

-Center shifter (I know this will never happen for M-B).

-HUD.

-Touch-Pad COMAND knob.

-Electronic E Brake.

-Standard Leather would be nice, though I like MB Tex for what it is, but an OPTION FOR NAPPA LEATHER AND NOT THE CHEAP LEATHER OPTION CURRENTLY USED would be nice.

-More refined/nicely patterned headliner.

-Go back to cloth weather stripping's which is a fundamental and detail-oriented must to any true luxury car.

-9G Tronic transmission.

-6 cylinder Powerplant that has more and more usable low-end torque and the ability to get 32+ MPG on the highway.

neverlose

realistically how close are we to a new model though? They introduced the w212 in 2010.. I would think there wouldn't be another major redesign for at least another 3-4 years.

bigigg

^ sounds about rite..

SolidGranite

Redesign happens about every 7 years so we're more like 2 years away since the 14 is already out.

thenew3

Fewer squeaks and rattles would be nice.

Also would be nice to see adaptive led head lights as standard equipment, even if it raises base price a little.

fintail

I'd like to see an angular design, but I think MB is moving to swoopier curvier things, as seen with W222 and the CLA. With the CLA, I think C and E will slowly be moved up market, maybe the latter finally getting standard high end lighting and maybe even leather. I agree with wanting HUD, larger screen, cutting edge transmission, and maybe some better rear deck plastics that don't creak and pop.

Tjdehya

Why do you guys care if it's standard or not? If you want it then get it! It doesn't matter if it's standard, I just want it available... You know kinda like folding mirrors should be standard. It's not standard but it should at least be available and that's all I want.

Anyway remember that E class is a Taxi in Germany so a long list of expensive standard equipment is not likely... But I would like to see them AVAILABLE.

thenew3

Because if its not standard many dealers won't order it. Most W212 that is not custom ordered (that I've seen) don't have P2 or for 2014 the lighting package.

For those of us who can't wait the 3+ month for an ordered car, or would prefer to just walk in to a dealer when convenient and pickup a car on the lot, it would be nice to see them come with something as trivial as HID's as standard equipment.

K-A

Good list. I wouldn't mind the E staying angular as well, as it's appropriate to the car. The only thing that bothers via about the W212 is how the original version of a no-apologies angular design, from the front it's really an art on cubism and angular design, then the facelift grafted on slightly "rounded" areas onto it. I just hope they do a definitive, confident language on the next one again: Either unapologetically angular or smooth. I.e the W211 was smooth, the W212 angular, the "in between" is what doesn't work, IMO.

I agree with your list as well. Tightening down the interior panels and such for less creaks, squeaks and pops should be first on the agenda, though IMO that coincides with making the car "isolated from harsh road surfaces". I feel that part of the reason the W212 prematurely squeaks and rattles so much is due to how much impact the forces from bad roads get transferred inside due to the suspensions inability to properly coddle you away from them.

The next body style will probably get a reveal in 2015 sometime. But I think we're starting to see enough of M-B's design direction for the Sedans based on the W222 reveal and the recent almost full-reveal of the W205.

fintail

If I get another E, I very well might go for the lux suspension. My material quality issue isn't from ride, but from the temperature based pops that I still get out of my rear deck area (albeit much less frequently since it was in the shop for a few days) - it's a design or materials flaw. The rough "sport" ride is sometimes annoying, but I deal with it - years in the E55 taught me to dodge ruts and poorly designed road infrastructure.

Oh yeah, I'd like folding mirrors, too. Really, it should be at least optional on all models.

I suspect the next E will try to look "younger" or sportier, which might be unfortunate. I for one like the kind of upright traditional look of the 212, which in a way reminds me of a 21st century W124. I believe it will be a coherent design anyway.

K-A

Me too (on the folding mirrors and looks).

About "standard equipment". Fact is, if a car is marketing itself as "premium", it has to take some steps even past inherent quality and engineering applied to do so. Cheap cars don't have high quality headlights, they don't have folding mirrors, etc. So when you see all E Classes with high quality lamps and a set of folding mirrors, it pushes the notion that you have "luxuries" that come from the premium price of the car. That's what it's all about, the details matter when it comes to luxury.

I'd like to see the E attain more standard features because right now there's a culture within the E Class leasers that is "get the cheapest one on the lot", therefore you never see W212's with upgraded headlamps, or leather seats, or "fun" gizmos, etc. I believe it started from the "make the sport package free and the ubiquitous package" then cheap-lease/high-incentive ideas from the manufacturer and got aided by the fact that if these "luxuries" aren't standard, then dealers simply won't order them, so people even if wanting to spend more, get stuck with a fleet of bare-bones E Classes to choose from.

As for design, I agree. I'd love for the W213 to continue what the W212 V1 did. The front of that car still stands out and there's no modern car like it. Everything these days panders to "sportiness" even though most cars doing so aren't even the least bit sporty.

IMO M-B are trying desperately to appeal to younger crowds in their quest to regain market share which is unfortunate because what got Mercedes to where they're at in the first place was by doing what they did best, which is be "Mercedes". However, I really am starting to get this feeling/hope that Mercedes might really go all-out with the W213 and go above and beyond to regain the segment-sales crown that they recently gave up. This is where competition is a good thing, when it forces the one getting the underhand to get hungry and overcompensate going forward.

fintail

They put a bit of work into the equipment and design of the W222 - and it will be a hit and easily leads the segment now. If the same effort can go into the W213, it too will be remarkable. I don't think the future is lost just yet, W222 shows they are competing.

The lighting thing gets to me, as from my experiences elsewhere, lighting package cars are easier to find on all but the most basic cars. But in the US, not nearly as common. If I was building a new car, lighting package would be on my must have list. If I couldn't find what I want, I'd just search for a used car with the equipment rather than take a base new one. Leather doesn't get to me as much, maybe because I am used to tex in my old car. If I want leather, I'd go all the way for designo, and that expense might not be worth it to me.

The pretense of sport sells, see the sport trim package on S, 7er and now even LS class luxobarges. It's not a sporty car, but it has a look and maybe slightly harsher suspension tuning. Gotta keep up appearances. I am certain there will be a "sport" 213, likely with no hood star.

I think the CLA will be the key of the youth movement, with C and E moving up just a little as aspirational or future models if CLA buyers move on. That too should encourage more improvements for those models. The C interior shots show they are not sitting around.

Tjdehya

Look for the next E class to go the direction on BMW, AUDI, etc. with an offering of the same Sedan is sizes Small, Medium, and Large. You cant tell the difference between the 3/5/7 series and you wont be able to discern much of a difference between the C/E/S class.
They got rid of the quad headlight for a reason and the W205 will look like mini S class therefore the E will look like a smaller S class. JMO

The ugly floating Nav will be in the E class because it seems that it will appear in ever MB car under the S class price range. The A, B, CLA, GLA, next Face lift CLS, and W205 C will have it so its pretty much a guarantee for the E class. I hate how it looks in pictures, but to be honest, I drove a B class with one when I spent a few weeks in Italy and it didn't bother me at all.

K-A

Indeed, that's precisely what I mean. The S Class and C interiors show they're "trying" really hard now and aren't messing around (same was said of the W221 and W212 generation however, to be fair, though they were met with extremely polarizing reviews and on the latter case I feel not very highly regarded within the M-B community, compared to historic models). Whether or not their new efforts appeal to individual tastes or lose the plot is another story. From what I've read, the W222 drives very similarly to a W221 however as per usual with new M-B's just "refined and further enhanced". This shows that they're trying to convey a new message via design but it's easy to expect drive characteristics will remain largely the same. To me that is bitter sweet in the sense that I think if they can make the W213 drive like the W212 just further refined and MOST importantly sans ANY of the harshness and loudness the W212 introduced then it'll be a big winner. OR at least if it's gonna stay harsh over rough roads, a true handling competitor to BMW and Audi.

Either way, I have a gut feeling that when M-B leaks pictures of the W213 it'll be shocking. I just hope that whatever they do next "sticks" so they don't have to keep trying to "shock" people to keep interest, as they did that already with the W212 and even again with the W212 facelift. After a while "shock value" gets old and becomes tiring and ineffective. BMW learned that with the "Bangle design" as it's called era, and then quickly reversed it with very "sticky" designs which are so carefully evolved they're easily timeless within the BMW community (same goes for Audi). I'd like to see M-B get to that.

I just wish the W213 was released for the 2015 model year so I'd have something newly introduced to this segment to cross shop.

MA-E320

Well, I came across these early early images for the W213 in mbpassion.de. Might be a flop, might as well be the real thing. I do see potential though

Dema

Every luxury car priced over $30k has leather standard. MB seems an exception. Yes, you can order it, but if you want to make a deal and want a car from lot you are out of luck. My dealer offered me to upgrade to E550 having leather standard, and it becomes $5K option. But I would even accept it, but alas, they have only one E550 in lot and do not expect any one sooner than in 3 months. So go figure. Leather makes the car so expensive so here is a good reason starting looking around. I got a good confirmation just on Monday. I visited Fremont auto mall and was going around such makes as BMW, Lexus, MB. I couldn't find any sales person at BMW and Lexus, because they sell cars well and generally are not interested in buyers much, however I was immediately welcomed at MB and sales guy tried to sell me another Benz. I already admitted that car became ugly, however I could notice some improvements on driving side, car is more quiet, and a little bit more pushy, but still lousy if you try to gain some passing speed.

mbuster25

My wish list is based off of coming from my 2010....
Would like to see more electronics integration (such as Pandora displaying the album graphics and being able to change stations with command), illuminated key hole (I don't have keyless go), auto dimming passenger mirror, folding mirrors, memory/motorized rear mirror, standard leather, and a METAL fuel door, more BASS in subwoofer.

Dema

I think BMW already use Android based command unit, so you can install any applications showing you what you like. I am not sure for MB though. Giving a capability to install Android app in command unit will be certainly killing feature and you can get rid of so outdated applications as navigation or CD player. However they may want to restrict you to install app with too much graphic content for safety reason.

K-A

Another concern I have: It seems that Mercedes may start re-adopting their old idiom of "Same sausage different length" due to BMW and Audi's successes these days with them. The next C looks like an external carbon copy of the new S Class which will diminish the presence of the S Class when that design language is far more prevalent with the ubiquitous C Classes. Also, the CLA looks like a shrunken FWD CLS.

Therefore I have a feeling that the W213 may look like a W222/W205, and hope that once again, like the W212 did, the E line keeps its own unique virtues. Probably unlikely because M-B stupidly eradicated the E's unique virtues already (no more quad lights, no more luxury style grille on the majority-"Sports"-package models instead the generic Star-grille now, etc.).