Mercedes E-class facelift coming on June 25.

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Mercedes Benz has announed that the E-Class facelift will be launched on June 25.

It's been almost four years since Mercedes-Benz launched the W212 generation E-class in India. The time is ripe then for this mid-life facelift. What Mercedes has essentially done with this car is taken the E-class's most distinctive features - the four headlight setup and the ‘Ponton’ haunches - and updated them thoroughly. The most obvious change is with the headlamps that are now encased in a single flowing lens with LED elements for the low beam and daytime running lamps. Mercedes is also offering the E-class with the option of full LED headlamps. Then, you'll notice the more aggressive grille that flows into a re-profiled bonnet and a new front bumper devoid of fog lamps- changes that make the E-class look a lot more dynamic than the stately looks of old.

Move to the sides and the biggest change is that the ponton haunches make way for a smoother, cleaner design that flows into the new tail-lamps and a sportier rear bumper. Overall, it's a sharper, cleaner design that has at the least given the W212 a few more years of freshness.

As for the insides, the updates are more subtle and most notably with the thick bar of silver trim (or wood, depending on the variant) that separates the upper and lower part of the dashboard. There's a new sportier steering wheel, the air-con vents have been redesigned and the controls beneath the audio system's head unit are new as well. The dials are new, the COMAND system gets a new screen and Merc is bringing in a sat-nav and a DVD player as well. Another big talking point is that Merc could also offer a park assist system, similar to the one in the VW Passat, which will help park the car once it detects a suitable parking slot. We've always loved Merc cabins for their tough build and exceptional fit and finish and we expect nothing to change in this respect.
The Indian E-class will be offered with two engine options - the petrol is a 2.0-litre, direct injection motor making 184bhp and the diesel, a 2.1-litre, 204bhp motor. Both engines are four-cylinder units mated to Merc's 7G-tronic automatic transmission. Merc says the top-of the range six-cylinder E350 CDI has been discontinued for now.

Mercedes is expected to make an announcement about the updated E-class on 25 June.  

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