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I neither know nor care if these images were accidentally or intentionally leaked. That’s just how the internet works. In any case, these are official shots of the next generation E-Class sedan. I’m a big fan of the C-Class and its design, but the S-Class is not exactly stunning in my eyes. This E not surprisingly falls somewhere in the middle. I think the taillights look pretty Lexus.
Update: Looks like the originator of the pics (besides Mercedes, of course) was Autoscoops.eu
32 Comments on “Mercedes E-Class Images “Leak”...”
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I really like it. The tail lights are in fact a step backwards and seem to be inspired by the W210. Which is a good thing IMHO.
However, I’ve seen interior shots somewhere else and that didn’t really look very good to me. They’ve taken this angular design theme too far inside.
Oh yeah, and brown seems to be the new black indeed…
Tailights aren’t Lexus to me. Seems like Camry or 2003 Accord or Sonata.
The whole design of C and E class makes both cars look a little “stiff” and not as sleek as previous versions. I still like the ’06 C over the current one, and looks like I like the ’07 E over the ’09.
That said, looks like next year the S is going to get the same pointier grille, which is pretty and intimidating.
We saw spy pics of the interior of this car a while back, and it’s just as disappointing. :/ Even if I had the huge amounts of money needed to buy this car, I’d still go Hyundai Genesis or Lexus ES.
O, btw, Tom, I agree with how they’re making it more like the W210. MB seems to be recycling/refreshing previous designs and making them modern again.
Chocolate brown is making a comeback. Excellent.
As an owner of the previous 2 gens of E’s, I like generally, where MB has been going — much more than BMW or Audi, for sure. The proof will be in the up close and personal viewing, though.
Does it come in diesel?
I like it a lot. Nice shape, nice details, except that silly curve around the rear wheel well. I’d give it an A-. And I’m a hard grader.
Those side mirrors really look big and truckish to me.
That swage-thingy around the rear wheel arch is a little odd. It almost looks like it should have spats (skirts). And whitewalls.
You lost me Justin, how is the C-class in any way attractive? The new A4 makes it look like a clown car.
The stiff/sleek departure. It seems that MB has gone back to the more blocky appearance of the W116 and W123 series, instead of the more sleeky W203 and W211 series. And it is good. Nothing screams more bank vault quality than a car that looks like it is made out of bricks…
The rear fender treatment looks peculiar, almost, dare I say, Korean! I’ll wait till I see one in the flesh. The good news is that I like the current E-class and this significant departure from the look of the current E-class will certainly make them much more affordable on the used-car lot.
You lost me Justin, how is the C-class in any way attractive?
Whoa there. I like the C-class a lot — it’s the way the lines play against each other. I like the oh-so-subtle hint of a protruding node on the front, but done so as to delicately balance with where the headlights are taking our eyes. It has this feel of wanting to be bigger, but being confined; it’s like a Great Dane puppy.
Anyway.
The new E-class headlights look like they came straight off of a Lexus GS.
Why is Mercedes looking to Hyundai for styling ideas? Same way BMW has been looking at Subaru and saying, “Yeah, now that’s a good looking car.”
WTF?
So. Not having the Mercede’s circle logo on the grill makes it awfully close looking to the Hyundai Genesis. Oops!
The horror – of those taillights. Just blech. Or some other puke-type word that doesn’t exist anywhere except within my contorted face after repeatedly clicking on that picture to whip myself.
What kind of mixed-up, muddled-up, $%#@&-up world do we live in when the Germans start copying the Japanese taillights? I mean, honestly, why would they copy anything the Japanese do in the luxury styling world? The new Lexus 460 is the first creamy barge from them that I’ve been able to stomach. But it’s damn sure not worthy of copying onto your new 7-series or, in this case, mixing with some Korean and pasting it on your E. Please change before production.
It’s been a couple of gens back, but Mercedes has once again pasted on rear lights on the E-Class that don’t match the front. Remember the peanuts?
I was actually behind a new E63 AMG today and thought, damn, that’s a nice looking car, particularly in black. I can’t imagine saying the same thing about this one.
OK EVERYONE STAND BACK….
I’m an S550 owner. I have NEVER liked the E-classes looks cause those two bulging headlamps always made me sick.
BUT THIS…
The front of it is perfect. Just like the C and CL’s and the rhombic lamps took so much better than ovals.
The side body “s class” hints look great too. Same as on the CL and C.
The rear however SUCKS. Like something Hyundai woulda made. Even the Genesis’ rear looks better. In fact, the polygonal exhausts and the entire back look stolen and reshaped from the LS460. Why the hell didn’t Benz just make the E-classes rear look like the current CL or the S?
In fact, The interior BETTER be the same as the S550. I can’t take another Benz (CLS550) being released with the crappy interior from the S500.
I think I may end up buying the next E class unless the next S comes out EXTREMELY TIGHT.
Davekaybsc :
You lost me Justin, how is the C-class in any way attractive? The new A4 makes it look like a clown car.
Different strokes for different folks and all that. (I don’t find the new A4 attractive at all).
Do you mean autoscoops.eu (or is it an educational institution)?
ChrisHaak :
Do you mean autoscoops.eu (or is it an educational institution)?
Oops. Euroscoops University lost its charter a few years ago.
Link always worked, but text fixed to reflect the, uh, typo.
Love the front, but the back says “Hyundai Genesis” to me.
I’d rather get a Hyundai Genesis than an E-Class that breaks down and needs super costly repairs after 30 months.
Exhaust looks lexus. Tailgait kind of Honda Accord like.
I thought these were pre-production shots of the GS430.
Justin – I agree with you on the C, E and S class “design”. They each look like what I would imagine the look of a Chinese or Korean copy of a Mercedes. The C is particularly ungainly with its new snout, although perhaps in keeping with the “big-mouth bass” look that Audi pioneered a few years back.
Since Chris Bangle began uglifying BMW, Audi and Mercedes seem to be working hard to demonstrate they can make even uglier cars, A5 excepted. And imagine what the poor SL will look like when this nose is grafted on in its next gen.
The rear end looks generic…like it could be a Hyundai Sonata, until you get up close and spot the M-B badge. Otherwise it’s ok…the side profile looks pretty good and the squared off front end looks decent.
For those of you claiming the current C class and current S550 are ugly, I strongly disagree with you.
For those of you claiming the current BMW’s are ugly, I STRONGLY disagree with you.
My mother, who is a NYC Principal currently making over $125,000 a year wants to buy a new car and she specificaly wants
#1 High quality
#2 an exterior that looks very unique
#3 a color that’s very unique.
She LOVES my S550 but, as much as I try to sway her towards Benz, she wants either BMW or Cadillac.
She is in love with the CTS. My aunt got an SRX and my mother drove it. Loves it, but things its too high from the ground. My mom wants either an X6 or a 750li – and I’m trying to get her to wait until the new 7 is released so she can get that one.
I feel that BMW’s designs may be “polarizing” but to call them ugly is absolutely unfair.
Audi has very plain, streamlined looks with huge truck grills. Their cars are very nice, because the exteriors don’t look dated even after 2 model years. But, if I were gonna buy a car right now, it would be an X6 or an Ocean Drive concept Sclass.
Alot of people out there, WANT original, exceptional looks and they can afford to get them. The only problem is, who’s gonna buck the pundits and build it.
The Hyundai Genesis does look better. How is that thing selling anyway?
Chocolate brown is making a comeback. Excellent.
It will never look as good as it did on a 70s are LTD Brougham. :)
If Buick were still alive this is what the new Park Avenue would look like.
#1 High quality
#2 an exterior that looks very unique
#3 a color that’s very unique.
2 out of 3 ain’t bad…the Benz will give you #2 for sure and #3 (but will chip off). But #1? Not unless she has a golden horseshoe up her rear.
Flashpoint:
I think a large part of people’s comment about BMW’s style being ugly is the fact that the industry copied it so fast that it quickly became commonplace and no longer unique. You can argue the finer points of the designs and interpretations, but the overall look & influence makes the BMW’s look plain now.
I think the taillights look pretty Lexus.
I think the headlights look extremely Lexus.
Of course, the E and GS have played this game before. The last time around Lexus had the (subjectively) better looking car. I’m not sure this time; I think the Lexus’ rear looks better (especially as it lacks hips) but the Merc’s front clip is better.
And yes, I think the current C is a great-looking car.
I own a 335i sedan which I bought in spite of its appearance as much of the detailing on the car is inferior to the E46 model which it replaced. The use of styling gimmicks by Chris Bangle specifically has in my view pushed elegance to the back seat (and I’m not talking about the “bustle” stolen from 1979 Cadillac, but the godawful and cutesy cut lines and extraneous body flourishes.)
Those who argue that the current MB or BMW models are better looking than their predecessors would also be arguing that the Nissan GTR is a better looking car than an Aston Martin were the Nissan only built in Germany.
I have a friend who recently bought a C class for his wife; he is a long time Mercedes owner who bought the C over the 3-series only because MB offered a vastly superior lease deal, and not because he liked the car.
Audi has been the least affected of the three premium German cars, and their interiors remain the classiest in the industry. The fish-mouth has set a poor precedent, IMHO.
As an E500 owner whose lease expires a year from now I’m very interested in what the new E class is going to look like. The current car is pretty nice, without any of the silly S-clsss bulges but this new one seems to have borrowed rear wheel swellings from the S. The bulges over the rear wheels have no reason to be there. I also think the new car is raked far too much forward, with its rump way up in the air. I hate that look. I’m giving strong consideration to picking up one of the last 09 E class cars, maybe an E550, before the new 2010s arrive or else just forgetting Mercedes completely and looking at either a Lexus ES350 or a Hyundai Genesis. I want a car that I can get into without bumping my head and that I can sit in without rubbing my head against the headliner.
Max