New Mercedes E-Class

First official pictures and details have been released of the 2013 Mercedes E-Class range.

Mercedes has given its E-Class a sharp new look. The facelifted saloon and estate will debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January before going on sale in April.

Robert Lesnik, head of exterior design with Mercedes said “We wanted a more daring design for the E-Class.” The biggest change is the switch from quad to dual headlights, with two L-shaped daytime running lights in each lamp. Full LED headlamps are optional for the first time, too.

These flank a larger, more upright grille, and for the first time on the E-Class, the three-pointed star badge is in the centre. Models fitted with the optional AMG package also get a much larger grille than before.

Gone are the pronounced, Bentley-style pontoons around the rear wheelarches. These are now reserved for the E-Class Coupe and Convertible, which will also debut at Detroit, alongside a firebreathing 550bhp E63 AMG.

Inside are new seats, improved trim materials and revised air vents. Plus, the gear selector on auto models moves from between the seats to a column shifter on the right-hand side of the steering wheel, as on the S-Class.

Nice looking facelift !