2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Facelift Struggles to Hide Its New Front and Rear

Now that we're getting closer to its official reveal, expected to take place in the following months, near the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz is actively testing various cars around the world, including on home turf in the Stuttgart area.

Since the car will have entirely new front- and rear-ends, those two areas are the only ones drenched in camouflage on the following prototype.

It's not easy to poke through it, but you only need one look at the revamped GLC and a bit of imagination to realize how the new front fascia will look, with Mercedes-Benz opting to continue with an updated Matrioshka-style design theme.

The rear end is a bit different, though, and it's where the design department seems to have received the most freedom. We say this because the taillights are not only much slimmer, but they also extend over the trunk lid, meaning that the facelifted E-Class will need new stamping tools, always a costly affair.

On the inside things will remain mostly the same from a design point of view, except for a new steering wheel, possibly borrowed from the upcoming S-Class W223. The infotainment, on the other hand, will be entirely new, with the latest version of MBUX making a premiere inside the E-Class together with touchscreen and gesture capabilities.

Despite previous rumors, it seems that the model won't receive SAE Level 3 autonomous capabilities like the 2021 S-Class, relying instead on improving its current Level 2 features. Level 3 seems to be reserved for 2021 in the Sonderklasse.

Engine-wise, 48-volt mild-hybrid technology will make its way on the E 450, which will finally lose its twin-turbo V6 and get the newer 3.0-liter inline-six. A similar 48-volt system could also make its way on the more powerful version of the 3.0-liter inline-six diesel engine, while all gasoline mills will be fitted with a gas particulate filter (GPF) on the European market.