Guyz, guyz, look at my badge and grill

[219]

Mercedes in the past 10 years been targeting a younger demography in the UK, to shake off its Old man image, some of this is to make the cars more youthful and Sporty, by removing the upright star.

And it has worked, A-Class has been a massive seller.

Perhaps it is just a matter of educating those younger drivers , much as people might evolve from drinking Tetley or PG Tips to Earl Grey ...

 

[renault12ts]

No two Mercedes are the same.

Given this as a starting point and you are configuring your MB there is no reason for UK cars not to have traditional grilles and bonnet stars...but MBUK do not allow it. The factory has no problem doing it...but it isn't allowed by the importer.

You can't say that the A Class is evidence of the popularity of MB due to the sports grille...it's just the base model and they'd buy it no matter what a C or E class grille looked like.

Do German young people not buy the A Class because the C and E have proper grilles?

But, if you order one in Ireland (not Northern Ireland for those of you who have difficulties with the geography of your own country) you can order a proper grille and bonnet star.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

I'm not saying the A Class is popular just due to the grill, I'm saying it's a sign of the times that the most non-traditional Mercedes is the most popular model. (A Golf clone)
The German market is totally different than ours, IIRC, no other country in the world 'buys' as many new cars as the UK (lease etc).

 

[grober]

OK Mercedes UK maybe decided to target a younger demographic in the UK by making their cars more sporty- like BMW's in fact. After all that's how BMW saved themselves from bankruptcy and started to expand in Germany with their sporty "Neue Klasse" range, stealing a lot of younger prospective Mercedes buyers in the process.

This would make sense except that Mercedes marketing material is still redolent with history and tradition and makes great play of its historical roots to sell its cars. Yet in the same breath MB UK appears to contradict this message by rejecting one of the potent symbols of that very tradition. It may make sense to the bean counters but in marketing terms its giving out mixed messages surely?

 

[renault12ts]

It means every time you see a "new" Merc you think...poseur.

 

[renault12ts]

I'm not saying the A Class is popular just due to the grill, I'm saying it's a sign of the times that the most non-traditional Mercedes is the most popular model. (A Golf clone)
The German market is totally different than ours, IIRC, no other country in the world 'buys' as many new cars as the UK (lease etc).

"Mercedes in the past 10 years been targeting a younger demography in the UK, to shake off its Old man image, some of this is to make the cars more youthful and Sporty, by removing the upright star.
And it has worked, A-Class has been a massive seller".

You did seem to tie the removal of the star with the success of the A Class in the UK.

I would suggest that if the option to have the traditional grille had not been removed form the E class and the C class (although it seems to have gone everywhere), the A Class would have sold just as many as it has.

There is no cost to allowing the option since on the same production line some will have the old grille, some will not.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Upright Star on the A-Class would have effected sales, its old man, fuddy duddy. as is the traditional 3 box design.

(I for one love the upright Star, maybe as im getting old )

 

[Mactech]

Could that be reflective of building a car to suit a cost/price bracket?

Not sure if it’s connected but when I was young I yearned for a merc but had to work my way up to one like I had to for a detached house, (terraced/semi detached/detached) a new fridge freezer as opposed to a second hand one etc etc, today it seems couples move straight into a new detached house with big screen TVs and the rest of the mod cons and a merc[emoji33] or do I just sound like my dad now[emoji23]


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You forgot to add that they do all this without getting married first today! Somewhere between changing attitudes and the availability of easy credit you may just find the answer....

 

[renault12ts]

Upright Star on the A-Class would have effected sales, its old man, fuddy duddy. as is the traditional 3 box design.

(I for one love the upright Star, maybe as im getting old )

Agreed, but why does it have to be removed from the E and C classes?

 

[philt32]

Agreed, but why does it have to be removed from the E and C classes?

And cls


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[Brian 1]

I love my new A class but I like the diamond grill better than my grill, so am going to change it.
Just to add, I had a Bmw 2002tii grober years ago, it was super fast.

 

[lfckeeper]

And cls


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I think it would look awful on a CLS. (just my opinion of course.)

Surprised MB haven't put the gunsight and badge less grille as a £500 'option'.

People who want them could always just buy one after purchasing the car couldn't they? (If they really wanted it that badly)

 

[Monkeylegend]

I have the gunsight on my E class and the grill badge on my SL. Neither would look right if they were reversed IMO.

 

[mikestrivens]

I have the gunsight on my E class and the grill badge on my SL. Neither would look right if they were reversed IMO.

Absolutely agree

 

[MancMike]

Let's not forget those who choose to have both big star grille and upright bonnet star...

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Let's not forget those who choose to have both big star grille and upright bonnet star...

Reminds me of double-denim.

 

[BfgSLKMan]

Well as and when Merc ever build a batch of E Class's with WSC and mine finally arrives I shall be adding an upright bonnet star. I have promised myself a big Merc estate with a bonnet star for years and that is what I shall have - I would like to have an Elegance model, but Merc UK have decided we can only have SE (Avantgarde) or AMG Lines. This then gets into the debate about why we are now denied in the latest price list, for example, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, climate front seats, massage front seats, heated windscreen, HUD (now only on AMG proper cars), any meaningful choice of alloy wheels (MB Germany offer about 20 permutations), the list goes on. Ours will be a family car, and heated rear seats on leather trim for rear seat passengers is not too much to ask (don't expect too many of London's private hire fleet will be much chuffed either as they like to keep their customers happy).

Strikes me they are trying to ape BMW (even calling Avantgarde Line SE for the UK market) but have failed to realise that the BMW do offer you the full options list so you can create a halo car as well as still doing their own Designo equivalent options (for those who really don't worry about splashing the cash). I don't understand the logic, but then I am only a humble customer.....

 

[jayboy222]

When I was in the market for an W212 E63, I made a point of finding a pre-facelift 5.5 biturbo as I felt the gunsight and grille just seemed right and suited the shape better. Surprised to read that so many others prefer the 'old skool' look!

 

[BfgSLKMan]

I make no apologies for liking old skool! One of the many reasons I am buying the E class is that once a month or so we travel to our holiday home in Bavaria and want something to waft us there and back in lots of comfort (hence air suspension, driver assistance plus package); I am not buying my car to pose with an AMG body kit, or buying a proper AMG model to enjoy blistering performance. I just want a bit of affordable and comfortable luxury to make life more comfy and to me a proper badge on the bonnet helps fit the bill a bit better. If I hadn't specified Distronic then I would also be fitting the Elegance grill, but with the different shaped radar cover etc then it is not worth it.

 

[IanGarland]

I Was in my late 30s when I got an elegance with the upright star (60 plate) made me better than normal folk