2014 Merceds E-Class Facelift

The face of controversial new 2014 Mercedes E-Class. This ones the Elegance by the way.

It appears that Mercedes, in an act of heroism and perhaps stupidity, is set to ditch the E-Class’ iconic quad headlamp design which has almost defined the car since initially featuring on the 1995 E-Class. Mercedes is giving the E-Class a mid life refresh to keep us all interested in the aging sedan and wagon. Specific details are pretty scarce at the moment; all we have is these images which show a new headlight design that ditches the quad design in favor of a single lens design which incorporates the quad lamp design with the use of LED day time running lights.

Avantgarde 2014 Mercedes E-class.

The grille is now much larger than before and can be optioned in two different styles, the Elegance – which is for old people - and features chrome slats with flying 3-pointed star perched atop the redesigned bonnet or there’s a more aggressive looking Avantgarde design –for people who still have color in their hair - and features matte finish slats with black surround and large three pointed star embedded in the grille. The front end is definitely more sculpted than the current car and the Avantgarde model appears to be much more aggressive looking than the car it is set to replace. The rear bumpers get similar treatment but to a lesser extent, the tail light lenses are slightly larger and of a different design than before but retain the overall shape of the current car. The rear diffuser and exhaust design appear to be more sculpted incorporating a more fluid like design with a rather fantastic looking thin trapezoidal shaped dual exhaust tip design. 

The interior also gets an update which will look very familiar if you've sat in the new C-Class or the new CLS. It essentially mimics the beautiful design of the CLS meaning the new interior will feel less cluttered, more functional, and more luxurious compared to the current car. The main change is the steering wheel which is a more sports orientated three-spoke design and is the same as the new C-Class and CLS wheel.

Avantgarde face of the 2014 Mercedes E-Class Estate.

The revised E-Class uses much of the same hardware as the current car so you get a 7-speed automatic gearbox, diesel engines ranging from the 125kw E220CDI up to the E300 BlueTec diesel electric hybrid, petrol engines including the 2.0-liter four banger with either 135kw or 155kw, a 3.0-liter V6 with 185kw, and then there’s the V8s and AMG models which will use the 5.5-liter twin turbo motor. Revised engine management systems are likely to improve fuel economy and emissions slightly. 

The lovely new cabin of the 2014 Mercedes E-Class.

There is also some new safety technology including Collision Prevention Assist which uses radar tech and wizardry to apply the brakes and avoid potential collisions and Distronic Plus with Steering Assist, Braking Assist and Junction Assist, - that's its actual name - which is basically radar guided cruise control that allows you to fall asleep while driving because it manages literally everything. Except you can’t fall asleep because there’s another assist to stop that... 

The 2014 E-Class is set to make its public debut at next months Detroit Motorshow, prices are expected to remain the same as the current car and it should be in showrooms mid 2013.

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