- Most noticeable update is the DRL and (reinclusion) of front fog lamps
- LED DRL is now integrated the into headlamp assembly.
In our last feature story on automotive LED lighting and daytime running lights, we mentioned about LED DRLs on the Mercedes-Benz E-class being mounted on the lower front bumper rather than within the headlamp assembly like many of its competitors. This solution is actually more cost effective, not just from a manufacturing stand point (less complicated headlamp design) but also in terms of long term ownership cost (ease of replacement – a single DRL strip rather than the entire headlamp). The downside is that the LED DRL now occupies the spot where the fog lamp used to fit. Mercedes-Benz’s solution was to integrate the fog lamp functionality within the AFL (adaptive front lighting) intelligent headlamp feature. But customers didn’t react very well to it. Customers being customers, most of them don’t read the owner’s manual. And sales people being sales people, most of them didn’t pay attention / didn’t attend product trainings for the facelifted model.
Customers are still posting questions on Internet forums asking why their W212 E-class has a front fog lamp switch, but has no front fog lamp fitted and why can’t they see any differences in the lighting pattern after turning on the front fog lamp (when the vehicle is stationary, AFL intentionally turns down / deactivated the fog lamp function to reduce glare to other road users). Sales people who didn’t their product update memos were adding to the confusion by telling their customers that the LED DRLs also function as fog lamps (LED strips don’t have focusing lenses and are not meant to be illuminate the road ahead).
Judging from the latest set of spyshots from secretnewcars.com, it looks like Daimler is listening to customer demands and is redesigning the headlamp to integrate the LED DRLs and reintroducing a physical front fog lamp. The other explanation was that the separate DRL on the W212 facelift was just a temporary stop-gap solution to meet the February 2011 deadline by the European Union in implementing the Directive 2008/89/EC regulation making daytime running lights compulsory on all new cars.
Current E-class
A non-series production looking device is also spotted behind the front grille. It looks like radar transceiver for the adaptive cruise control, probably an improved unit with a longer distance and wider speed range (or lower cost) is in the pipeline.
The changes on this model looks very minimal, so minimal that we hesitate to call it a facelift but a product update.
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Mercedes Benz neue Antriebe E-Klasse(n) Efficiency Fahrveranstaltung Deidesheim 2011
Mercedes Benz neue Antriebe E-Klasse(n) Efficiency Fahrveranstaltung Deidesheim 2011
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Mercedes-Benz neue Antriebe E-Klasse(n) Efficiency Fahrveranstaltiung Deidesheim 2011
One Trackback
[...] Mine is a 2010 with P2. When I first got the car I noticed the hockey DRL went off when the main light was on. Brought it back to the dealer and they fixed it. From memory, it says on the worksheet "…found and loaded program from similar vehicle…" I read on a Taiwanese forum lately they have the same issue for W204 C Class and W212 E Class with halogen lighting. They also confirmed DRL stays on all the time for the ones with xenon package. The official reply from MB Taiwan is this is a code related issue and they can't do anything about it. However, one owner reported that he has a C Class in China and the dealer there helped to apply an authorization from MB Headquarter Germany. He was informed to bring the car back 3 days after the application. The dealer plugged in the computer, input the authorization (code or number) and the DRL is now on all the time. Some of the owners have access to Xentry diagnosis DAS and claimed the setting could be easily changed by activating ILS (Intelligent Light System) from within Xentry. Well, they got together this weekend and couldn't make it work. They checked and compared the on board computer of C200s (with ILS and xenon lighting) and C180s (halogen lighting and w/o ILS) and found the part numbers aren't the same. I'm still confused after reading all of these but it seems MB intentionally doesn't want the DRL to be on when the main light is on, for the ones without ILS (or AFL, Adaptive Front Lighting). The article in the following link seems to touch a little bit of it. http://www.motorindustry.org/2011/11/01/mercedes-benz-e-class-2012-update/ [...]