Making its ASEAN debut is the W212 Mercedes-Benz E-Class facelift, photos of which started surfacing late last year. Three sedan variants launch in Thailand, these being the E 200 Executive, E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid Executive and E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid AMG Dynamic (pictured above), priced at 3.49, 3.99 and 4.49 million baht respectively (RM368k, RM421k and RM474k).
The E 200 is powered by a turbocharged 2.0 litre BlueDIRECT engine that pumps out 184 hp at 5,500 rpm and 300 Nm of torque between 1,200 and 4,000 rpm, while the E 300 hybrid sees a 204 hp/500 Nm 2.1 litre four-cylinder diesel unit join forces with an electric motor that provides a 27 hp/250 Nm boost. Transmission is handled exclusively by a 7G-TRONIC PLUS.
The angular quad headlamps of the previous car have been merged into two one-piece LED units, with LED ‘eyebrow’ DRLs creating the illusion that the headlamps are still separated (E 200 gets partial LED headlamps).
In a first for the E-Class, two front grille variations are available – a sportier one with the three-pointed star housed within the double-bar grille, and a more traditional one with the hood ornament. In Thailand, only the range-topping AMG Dynamic (kitted out with the AMG sports package) gets the former.
Standard wheels, following ascending order in the E-Class range, are 17-inch five-spoke, 17-inch multi-spoke (both 17s clad in 245/45 tyres, the latter with run-flats) and 18-inch AMG five twin-spoke (with a choice of 255/40 or 265/35 rubber).
Inside, cowled instrument gauges, a trapezoidal high-gloss framed display in the head unit with flat-frame look and an analogue clock between the central air vents serve to elevate the E-Class’ level of luxury. The AMG Dynamic gets an automatic panoramic sliding sunroof, keyless go and tri-zone climate control (the rest get dual-zone systems).
The centre console has been re-designed and is now bereft of a gear lever, and a new multifunction steering wheel (flat-bottomed three-spoke on AMG Dynamic, four-spoke for the other two) is flanked by shift paddles and a DIRECT SELECT lever. The E 200’s interior is trimmed in brown eucalyptus, the E 300 Executive’s in brown burr walnut and the E 300 AMG Dynamic’s in black ash wood.
Standard-across-the-range equipment include PRE-SAFE, Hill Start Assist, Attention Assist, adaptive brake light, start-stop system and cruise control. Click here and here for some videos of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class facelift, which also comes in coupe, cabriolet and estate forms.
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This merc copied vios dashboard design
Yea yea yea we know we know.. Merc copied everything from Toyota. Now go back to your toyota hole.
So shy that Bangkok has all the latest releases. We at KLIMS are a joke. Instead of launching new cars, we sell oil, windscreen wipers, car shampoo etc. What a disgrace Malaysia has become. We were once the top choice for CKD in Asia for Japan but because of cronyism and corruption, all the Japanese moved to Thailand. Malu lah Malaysia. Continue doing all your AP nonsense and see, even Honda and Toyota will close all the local CKD plants and move to Thailand.
Gorgeous design!
The front and the rear don’t seem to sync…just my view
Agreed. Front is very nice and futuristic, but the rear…ermmm just too plain..
super elegant. this is real car
New tech but uncle design. still prefer BMW and Audi
Do you like the gearknob position?
pre faceift it wuz a such a beautiful thing to aspire to, especially in metallic grey with d dual rectangular exhaust tips, now they turned it into a praying.mantis , worst facelift by benz..
Sigh why does other countries always get to launch their cars ahead of us?
Anyway love the new front though the rear could have been better and the interior is classy as expected from a Mercedes…and looking at the redesign the current E Class we have here will look outdated quickly.
Expect the entry E200 price to be around the same as the outgoing model being sold here.
so elegant looking..im impressed
the ugliest Mercedes E class ever. no class. what happened to all the classic elegance Mercedes had. Audi and BMW designs are simple yet very beautiful and classy. this is not like a typical Mercedes. CLS, SLK and SLS AMG are the only Mercedes cars that look great.
design wise so yesterday.
the interior kinda look likes Mazda6 & CX-5.
474k… so Thai cars cost almost the same to ours. Made worst by their expensive petrol price. How does one live with that?
Thailand does not have proton to protect and yet the car prices are almost like bolehland, RM368k for a E200. So ppl should stop blaming proton for high car prices here.
to be honest, Thailand car price is always higher than us. Even thier C250 converted to our currency is around RM320k.
How ignorant can one be. CBU cars are heavily taxed over there to protect those manufacturers who CKD their cars in Thailand. All their CKD models like the Japanese models is significant cheaper than our CKD models.
For example, Honda Civic starts at RM80K for the basic model all the way up to RM118K for the top of the line model in Thailand. That’s at least RM20K-RM30K cheaper.
Over here, CKD or not, prices are still expensive. In most cases, like with the recent Honda Jazz Hybrid CKD, we can work out that there’s actually no savings at all when getting a car CKD or CBU. So we got screwed here no matter what.
Still can’t beat beemer!
wow…the rear looks so oldies
i test drive before this car……before facelifted…..
i would say best in the class.
try E200 feel the suspension comfort…
try E250 feel the acceleration …
then inside the car feel the material…pls go to try it..
u will know that audi and bmw still little behind of it.
althought the design…..but overall still the best.
As a owner, am very dissatisfied with the ownership experience so far (2012 W 212, E 200). At 8000 km, a systems failure left me stranded at night, thankfully it allowed me to “limp home” with no power assisted steering and brakes. Cycle and Carriage took my car for three weeks, they refused to provide a courtesy car nor could they guarantee the problem wouldn’t happen again. It isn’t terribly refined either, with lots of road and wind noise. Unfortunately, an ACV 40 toyota camry hybrid takes better care of it’s occupants and is more refined. Merc? Never, ever again.
I m sorry.. i cant believe i m saying this, but the facelift is kinda ugly, especially the one with 3-pointed star in grill (double bar one).
I always love the interior design of Merc., always changing between models and classes. Eventhough it s uncle design, i dont care, soon i also will became uncle. it is a long term investment to have one of those.
BMW, static, all interiors between model and series are static, all the same…but BMW styling is fantastic..