Bring Back the Mercedes Grill

[The Boss]

Ladies, Gents.

So i am taking the first step.

Visit my FB page - just set it up today

https://www.facebook.com/BringbacktheMercedesGrill

I hope to develop a social awareness to the grill situation..

And i hope Mercedes Marketing boffins in time can take note..

I hope you all can like and share this page, as it is important to address this Grill and Bonnet Star before it gets too late.

Ps. no heritage grill jokes today.. this is now getting serious

 

[renault12ts]

I "liked" so have I earned the right to have a joke about the "heritage"...

 

[Smatt]

Whilst I prefer the newer grilles, I agree you should have the right to choose a car which looks more dated/boring if you prefer.
The German SE does not look too bad
I would have liked the page, but am not on facebook...

 

[John Jones Jr]

Nice one there Mr.Boss.

Sadly, marketing rules, not that I care as I'm delighted to say every Merc I've owned had a proper Grill and long may it last. Nothing like a bit of tradition but since Merc are targeting younger & younger buyers the grill is seen as old hat, I reckon.

 

[guydewdney]

Big star on grille = coupe / roadster
Little star like a gun aimer = everything else (bar unimogs...)

 

[LTD]

You going to make up some stickers Boss ?

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Shouldnt it be "Bring back the upright star"?

 

[LTD]

Just retain the bonnet star for the S-Class.

After all, everything else is a compromise.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Liked.

I believe the new C class will have no option for a traditional bonnet star in the UK either.

 

[grober]

While some may regard the grill thing as a minor issue it serves as an illustration of how UK Mercedes customers are often denied the choice of engines and trim levels available in other markets.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

While some may regard the grill thing as a minor issue it serves as an illustration of how UK Mercedes customers are often denied the choice of engines and trim levels available in other markets.

The grills are completely down to noone buying the elegance model W204 with the bonnet grill after 10+ years of people adding the infamous BSG's to their W201/W124/W202/W210s

 

[The Boss]

Shouldnt it be "Bring back the upright star"?

You are correct there..

i played with a few names

bonnet star, proper grill, gun sight star, heritage grill and star etc.

but i thought this might be the right name for now..

please share by email to all your contacts, let me get this noticed by Mercedes.. They cant rule out the customers who prefer the proper grill and star

its just wrong, and otherwise we will end up with a bunch of cars with two stars on the front..

and that will be even worse than the bloody huge star on the grill as it is now

My father, for instance, likes the star to judge roughly where the front of the car is.. forget technology and sensors etc.. just having a marker is good enough for people in the 60's

But also, the younger clients love the star in the grill, but not everyone..

sure maybe 80% do not buy elegance models, but thats possibly because they make it seem a raw deal.. who knows..

either way, the market is there for a proper grill, and we should retain having a choice at least..
im not old.. but i love the fact the grill and star stand out proud.. really really do... and this does detract me away from marque..

BMW and Audi do a much more elegant job of it...

 

[LTD]

BMW and Audi do a much more elegant job of it...

Job of what ? Putting a Mercedes star on their bonnet ? BMW and Audi have never, AFAIK, featured a bonnet embellishment.

I have an E Coupe Sport. I could not imagine having this car with a bonnet star and plain grille. Saloon yes, Coupe no.

I have had an S Class. The bonnet star in mandatory on a car of this calibre.

I think you need to ascertain what your actual complaint is before you start throwing stones.

Your focus seems to be about some doddery old man who thinks his bonnet star is better than Parktronic.

It's simple - Merc will profile their cars to their probable customers. Facebook likes do not mean an order at a dealer.

 

[The Boss]

BMW and Audi have a history of a badge mounted flat with a grill, or in the grill or what ever..

Mercedes now seem to bring their badged grills from the coupes and roadsters on to the saloons, which, like your S-class, is a no no

The coupes and sports models work well with the badge, but the e-class and c-class i think do not work

sure .. its only a thought from me, but with enough people making a standing, and if Mercedes notice a retaliation, then they might bring it back.

I for one, want to buy a saloon with our a large badge on the front in the grill.

Bmw do a very elegant job of their fronts with just the grill and a flat badge on the top.

Audi again are elegant enough, not overly large or in your face.

SURE YOUNG BUYERS MAY NOT WANT A STICKING UP STAR AND WANT THINGS VERY STREAMLINED, BUT THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU BLOCK A MODEL VARIANT FROM MARKET. MERCEDES CREATED THE ELEGANCE MODEL FOR THE PERHAPS MORE DISCONCERNING BUYER.. OR THE TRADITIONALIST.. WHO KNOWS..

Overall, the way the badge is in your face in the grill looks awful on a saloon.

Most c and e class are now bought perhaps for fleet or through finance houses as effectively a lease vehicle.. and after 2 years its passed on.. no longer any passion or aspiration to be in a mercedes to show of your success of hard work.. historically, one would aspire to be in a mercedes and work damn hard to get there..

Today this can be done through finance, and there is no market pitch above others in the market.. your mercedes can be financed and leased for similar money to an astra..

however, still to my point, there are clients, perhaps cash buyers or those who do not want to flash a massive badge on the grill, whom aspire for a mercedes.. and the traditional grill and star on bonnet is actually classier and also more subtle.. part of the charm of mercs of old.. This does not have to mean you are an old person..

the choice should still remain, not just be dictated that they will not be offered to opportunity or choice for an elegant grill.

eg. some prefer higher profile tyres and soft riding suspension with a lighter two tone interior, not a black interior.. and the amg line up does not necessarily work with the UK road conditions at the moment..

just my thoughts..

Job of what ? Putting a Mercedes star on their bonnet ? BMW and Audi have never, AFAIK, featured a bonnet embellishment.

I have an E Coupe Sport. I could not imagine having this car with a bonnet star and plain grille. Saloon yes, Coupe no.

I have had an S Class. The bonnet star in mandatory on a car of this calibre.

I think you need to ascertain what your actual complaint is before you start throwing stones.

Your focus seems to be about some doddery old man who thinks his bonnet star is better than Parktronic.

It's simple - Merc will profile their cars to their probable customers. Facebook likes do not mean an order at a dealer.

 

[bpsorrel]

I agree. It seems wrong that Mercedes-Benz UK make a decision not to allow us a choice in the UK. Just because a lot of people like (or buy into) the aggressive style of the sport grille and badge (and harder suspension that seems to go with it) on the saloon models doesn't mean we all do. I personally like the sport front on the coupes and roadsters, but much prefer the traditional grille and star on the saloons and estates (excluding AMG versions of course!)

Not sure that a Facebook campaign will have any effect on the beancounters at MB UK, but it's worth a try I guess!

 

[mbenz1]

I agree with The Boss 100%. IMHO a saloon Mercedes always had a upright bonnet star and saloon grill and I dont see why the new saloon Mercedes should not have an upright star and saloon grill.

I am less than 25 years old and I personally think the upright bonnet star is pure class and prestige, whether sitting in the cabin or viewing it from outside. The old mercs like the SEC had no upright star but the beautiful old-school design of the bonnet compensated for.having no upright star (if you.know what i mean here ) and the grill design of the SEC was what i'd call a proper coupe grill design IMO.

For me and I am sure many others, the MB upright symbol holds more charm, prestige and class than the Rolls royce upright symbol and in my opinion surely no one would like to remove the upright symbol from a RR, so why a Mercedes??

I can understand MB are targetting a younger market and I personally think they have took this too far and.have got excited but atleast they should cater for everyone and offer the saloon grill and bonnet symbol for their saloon models.

At the end of the day, we all have different likes and dislikes and i personally think MB should.not scrap the symbol and saloon grill in the UK just becuase a handful only buy the elegance trim...

 

[KillerHERTZ]

I prefer the upright star, however. Mercedes is a business, selling cars is number 1. Since attracting younger buyers is essential, removing the bonnet star removes the 'grandad' look appealing to younger buyers which means sales.

 

[The Boss]

I prefer the upright star, however. Mercedes is a business, selling cars is number 1. Since attracting younger buyers is essential, removing the bonnet star removes the 'grandad' look appealing to younger buyers which means sales.

They can still cater for the younger market and retain their tradition!

i want to fight this, as i like the new 205 and facelift 212, just cant not come round to buying one with such an in your face front snout.

 

[grober]

While I have heard all the arguements about the " UK market" and what it wants many times before, the Boss is correct. Giving the customer the choice is the key here. Particularly if it simply means substituting a couple of components on the producion line which is easy to do since the build is governed by computer /printout anyway. We can dismiss the often trotted out excuse that it would cost millions to develop a "RHD version" its a grill for Ch****sake- there's even a hole stamped out the bonnet for the badge. How difficult can it be. The grill is however symptomatic of the attitude MB UK have to their customers--- we know best what you want.- Really? :fail The flaw in the "seller knows best" policy is that prospective customers may well be driven away to other manufacturers who recognise that giving the customer what they want while charging them handsomely for it is the key to selling a high end product.
Finally I should point out that this restriction in choice is unique to the UK market. Is this because our tastes are marked different to other markets or as I suspect its redolent of the wider UK market's motto of "shaft the customer" if you can get away with it.

 

[Tan]

I am in agreement with the Boss and other that have said there should be a choice. I appreciate that MB is a business and understand in the past reasons why we had couldn't have 4 Matic in the UK, due to the engineering costs to develop the system. But the grill situation is a little strange. If they think that younger buyers want the grill star then put the "proper grill" and the "star grill" as options.

From what I have read sales of the current CLS have been weak and I believe that a contributor to this is the fact that the CLS and the E-class now look too similar and so people won't pay a premium for the exclusivity of a CLS when the general public won't be able to tell the difference.

The star grill I believe should only be standard on the Coupe and Sports models like it was in the past and not on the saloons and estates.

Regards actual AMG models, maybe they should have their own design of star to differentiate them from AMG equipped regular models.