SPY: The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van receives a refreshed face for 2013

Apart from the new Citan and future Viano arriving in 2014, the Sprinter is also due to undergo a facelift procedure destined to keep the vehicle attractive up to 2017, when a new generation is set to enter the stage. The front fascia is the part set to change the most after the restyling process, as it gets new headlights optionally available with LED daytime running lights and a beefier radiator grille with the big Star placed in the middle. For the rest of the body, just subtle or no visual improvements are expected. The engine lineup will likely stay the same, but further tweaks in the efficiency department are bound to happen, that will help reduce the CO2 emission and improve fuel economy. At the moment, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is getting the taste of Scandinavian snow and ice, as the winter development is fully underway. Check out further spy shots after the jump!

Image Credits: Autoevolution

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

SPY: Future 2013 Mercedes-Benz Citan spotted in Sweden

Mercedes-Benz will renew its fleet of commercial vehicles for 2013. The new addition to the lineup will the compact-sized Citan van, based on the underpinnings of the Renault Kangoo. The Germans have already previewed this forthcoming model at a special event conducted by Volker Mornhinweg, former AMG boss and current head of the Mercedes-Benz Vans division. When it's introduced by fall this year at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, the Citan will sport an entire range of efficiently-running gasoline and diesel engines with BlueEFFICIENCY technology as well as several safety features. The vehicle is currently subject to road development; first spy shots come from Arjeplog, a popular region in Scandinavia where all major automakers send their future models for the winter programme. As seen in the images, a camouflaged Renault Kangoo mule is being used for the initial testing phase of the Citan. Check out further photos after the break!

Image Credits: Autoevolution

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

SPY: A fleet of 2013 GL-Class prototypes returns to base after offroad testing

In April, Mercedes-Benz will introduce the new GL-Class (X 166) to public and media at the New York Auto Show. The last phase of development undergoes undeterred as a fleet of test prototypes has been recently spotted on the outskirts of Stuttgart. The black camouflage has come off, so more details of the massive SUV are now becoming visible, like the headlights, beefy grille and bumpers and the elegantly designed LED tail lamps. Most probably, given the mud that's accumulated on the wheels and sides of the body, the snagged GLs were returning to the R&D Centre from a series of offroad trials custom-made to evaluate the potential skills of this new SUV generation.

Check out more spy shots after the jump!












Image Credits: Motor Authority

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

SPY: 2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W 222) - first FEP prototype spotted in Stuttgart

The advent of this less camouflaged test vehicles, pictured above, signals the entrance into the last stage of development for the future generation S-Class (W 222). Around six months are left from this moment until the official reveal scheduled for the Paris motor show at the beginning of October. We shall probably see the finished product earlier, around one month ahead the world debut, when Mercedes-Benz usually releases some initial images and details to preview a new model.


While we are sure the new S-Class will definitely boast state-of-the-art technologies and system, we are worried about what we see in these latest spy shots. After shaving off the camouflage, the prototype reveals more of the exterior design. And, somehow, we do not feel the car. Afraid or not, we could be unpleasantly surprised when the S-Class is unveiled. All in all, the W 222 generation seems looks to be a shy evolution of the current W 221 model, as the new elements seem to have been simply applied to the old body.

Even though it appears to have grown in length, the style is basically the same, if one observes the greenhouse or the general aspect of the rear end. At least, the criticized bulged wheel arches are gone, but we can't help wondering about what could lie under the camouflage applied to the sides of the car. Crazy design experiments work for inferior models, but not for an executive limousine such as the S-Class, so it would better have a clean, elegant profile.

Some influence from the F 700 research vehicle of 2007 can be spotted: a mild, harmonious rear end with beautifully shaped LED lamps is left to fight with a very aggressive, heavy and gnarled front fascia, dominated by a gargantuan, powerful grille, also inspired by the F 700, but at least harking back to old, traditional Mercedes-Benz cars built during the first decades of the 20th century. To continue in the same note and the make room for equipment, such as the radars used for the MAGIC BODY CONTROL ride management system, the headlight needed to be bigger. And they are... huge and overdesigned, we say. So far, the evidence points to the computer-generated illustration Autobild released back in 2010.

Hopefully, the Germans haven't screwed up the new S-Class aesthetically and Mercedes-Benz is not living its own "Bangle era" as BMW did between 2000 and 2006. This prestigious model, boasting a rich heritage, does not need to be visually intriguing. It just has to be what it's intended to be: an S-Class by all means.





Image Credits: Mercedes Fans

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.