[ase93]

I realize this is unrelated to BMW but this is the only blog I'm related... And there are no other photos so I thought I would share this quick photos with you... I saw these cars as they were preparing for the unveiling at a ranch in Montana that I happen to be at... And theres no other photos that I could find online that weren't out of camouflage so Enjoy:

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

Wrong forum but I'll bite. That really doesn't tickle my fancy. That front end has Audi written all over it.

[ase93]

Here's one more:

[Chowster]

Ummmmm.... Hyundai Tuscon?

[attbimmer]

Originally Posted by -=Hot|Ice=-

That front end has Audi written all over it.

That's what I thought as well when I saw the front.

[GuyOh]

Audi front, Hyundai rear

[TK-421]

+1 on the Audi front end

Looks like the Cayenne still reigns supreme

[CAPSGOD]

Reserving judgement until ML63 Black Series

[TK-421]

Originally Posted by CAPSGOD

Reserving judgement until ML63 Black Series

After seeing an R63, nothing they do will surprise me.

[NewYearsBoy]

Wow what happen to car companies being unique anymore....

[Davin]

The older one looks better in my opinion. Maybe i'll change my mind once i see it in person. I find the side profile so odd

[ianbiz]

Mercedes Benz is confused when it comes styling. Their cars used to be timeless looking, now they look like a trendy pair of sneakers that no one will want next year.

[E90Alex]

not a bad looking SUV but that rear looks like an E-class wagon

[Davin]

Originally Posted by ianbiz

Mercedes Benz is confused when it comes styling. Their cars used to be timeless looking, now they look like a trendy pair of sneakers that no one will want next year.

Thats a good way to put it...

[stickypaws]

Originally Posted by ianbiz

Mercedes Benz is confused when it comes styling. Their cars used to be timeless looking, now they look like a trendy pair of sneakers that no one will want next year.

You can blame Gorden Wagener. Their new designer with Bangle ego envy. Mercedes may sell the cars well, but in the end, I don't think automotive design history will favor him very well when his tenure is finally over.

‘Off the Charts’

“The goal is to create the most beautiful cars in history,” said Wagener. “At the very least, we want to create the benchmark car in each and every segment.”

Mercedes’ new design may backfire, as the “very avant- garde” makeover risks alienating traditional buyers, said Jeremy Anwyl, head of automotive website Edmunds.com.

“Mercedes is in a position where they can almost dictate taste, but some people aren’t quite going to understand it,” said Anwyl, who’s based in Santa Monica, California. “The obvious goal is to reach out to younger, trend-setting buyers, and Mercedes is clearly looking for relevance in that segment, which is causing them to go off the charts on styling.”

Horst Bunzel, a retired electrical engineer from Berlin who has a 2008 E-Class and has been a Mercedes owner for decades, is one such customer who feels put off by the new styling.

“I like smooth surfaces,” said Bunzel, who isn’t a fan of the evocative lines that accent new Mercedes models. “Those edges are a nightmare to repair if you get in an accident.”

The styling overhaul, which includes broader shoulders over the rear wheels and interiors developed by a new 90-person team, in some ways parallels BMW’s break under former design chief Chris Bangle. The shakeup of BMW’s rigid styling, while shocking some, made the models more distinct.

“If Mercedes didn’t undertake this design change, they would have lost out significantly to BMW and Audi,” said Peter Zec, founder of the annual Red Dot industrial design award. “Mercedes is prepared now to be noticed.”

[blue2fire]

^^ I wonder why they do it. Even if Audi and BMW make sales gains and leave Merc in the dust for now, a Mercedes is a Mercedes. They invented the car and are in a position where they can emphasize quality and heritage without trying too hard on the design.

For what it's worth, i actually like all the new models.

[KLH]

Remove the three pointed star and you would never know what it is......total lack of pedigree.

[AW335TT]

If this cars front has audi written all over it, than Mercedes new line up has Audi written all over it :/

[comar1979]

OMG...



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[fwmcb]

I used to like the m class, but like most newer Benz products including the refreshed slk I find them a bit fugly.