Description
MODEL HISTORY
The W212 and S212 Mercedes-Benz E-Class series is the fourth-generation of the E-Class range of executive cars. The 212 series was produced by Mercedes-Benz between 2009 and 2016 as the successor to the W211 E-Class.
The estate version (chassis code S212) was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, with exterior design by Winifredo Camacho and interior styling by Thomas Stopka. The design was considerably more angular and aggressive than its predecessors and Mercedes gave the rear haunch a bulge that they named the "Ponton flare", inspired by that of the Ponton cars from the late ‘50s & early '60s.
Many of the changes were made to give the E-Class a sportier appearance, with new design cues from a number of existing models, to create a sharper-looking brand image in competition with BMW. The rising character line of the 2009 E-Class was inspired by the S-Class, as were the wheel-arch extensions, door handles, and enlarged bumpers.
The CLS-Class inspired the new headlights, featuring a squared teardrop design as opposed to the previous design. Other changes made on the 2009 model included a wider-framed grille, new air intakes, and a rear Diffuser-Esque bumper design. The E-Class (Saloon) now had a drag coefficient of just 0. 25.
Other design improvements also appeared inside, with a now high-level LCD screen, easily connectable via Bluetooth, to smartphones for telephone and music synchronicity. A dark wood trim featured on the dashboard and doors and for the JDM market, all rear windows included privacy glass. The specification was very high throughout, with such niceties as Self-leveling HID headlights with automatic swivelling, for a better view of corners ahead, as well as pneumatic rear suspension; a much simpler design, than previous hydraulic systems, which made maintenance easier too. 7-G Tronic (AMG Speedshift DCT on this example) transmission was also introduced, offering much-improved performance and refinement. Further details & specification below.
EQUIPMENT
The specification is comprehensive and includes such rarities as rear-mounted screens with 2 x Bluetooth (auto off) headphones which work independently of the high-powered original option Bluetooth equipped sound system, AMG spec. seats, floor mats, AMG DCT sports transmission and much, much more.
It would almost be easier to list what the car doesn't have, but for the sake of providing a detailed list, here is information, decoded from the car's chassis number (WDD2122242A499348). This is a very rare high-specification, loaded with original options, that is unlikely to be found elsewhere for sale.
051 AEJ 10/ 2
063 CONTROL CODE FOR RELIABLE SERVICE DIAGNOSIS
068 MODIFICATION YEAR 11/ 0 SCALE 2
088 STEUERCODE 330 X 32 - BREMSE BEI 18 ZOLL BEREIFUNG
108 CONTROL CODE MARKETING
197U OBSIDIAN BLACK
213 SPEED-SENSITIVE POWER STEERING/ VARIO STEERING
218 REAR-VIEW CAMERA
220 PARKTRONIC SYSTEM (PTS)
230A LEATHER
231A LEATHER - BLACK/ ANTHRACITE
240 LED DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS
244 SPORTS SEATS, FRONT
249 INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR MIRROR, AUTOMATICALLY DIMMING
263 LICENSE PLATE ATTACHMENT ASIA / MEXICO
275 MEMORY PACKAGE (DRIVER SEAT, STRG. COL., MIRROR)
277 SPORTS STEERING WHEEL
279 ELECTRONIC GEAR RANGE SELECTION
282B AIRBAG LABEL - JAPAN/ ENGLISH
287 THROUGH-LOADING FEATURE
291 PELVIS AIRBAG (PELVISBAG)
294 KNEE AIRBAG
298 SIDEBAGS IN REAR WITH BELT FORCE LIMITER
301 ASHTRAY PACKAGE
309 CUP HOLDER
414 ELECTRIC TILT/ SLIDE SUNROOF IN GLASS VERSION
427 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 7-SPEED
428 STEER. WHEEL GEARSHIFT BUTTONS/ SHIFT PADDLE PAINTED
462 INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WITH ASIAN CHARACTERS
474 DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER
477 TIRE PRESSURE LOSS WARNING
498 JAPAN VERSION
518 UNIVERSAL COMMUNICATIONS INTERFACE (UCI)
51U BLACK FABRIC ROOF INTERIOR TRIM
527 COMAND DVD APS WITH NAVIGATION
551 BASIC ANTITHEFT ALARM SYSTEM (ATA)
55O DEALER OPTION ETC JAPAN
580 AIR CONDITIONER
600 HEADLAMPS - CLEANING EQUIPMENT
608 AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM SWITCH (IHC)
619 CORNERING ILLUMINATION
621 HEADLAMP WITH ILS, LEFT-HAND TRAFFIC
668 PRODUCT PROT. F FREIGHT PACKAG. W TIE-DOWN HOOKS
677 AVANTGARDE/ STANDARD SUSPENSION
736 TRIM PIECES - WOOD ASH BLACK
762 RADIO REMOTE CONTROL W/ O PANIC SWITCH (315 MHZ)
772 AMG STYLING PACKAGE-FRONT SPOILER, SIDE SKIRT
786 AMG DOUBLE-SPOKE WHEELS 18" WITH MIXED TIRES
801 YOM 10/ 1
839L JAPAN
840 DARK TINTED GLASS
864 REAR ENTERTAINMENT (2 SCREENS)
873 SEAT HEATER FOR LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT SEATS
882 SENSOR SYSTEM AND ANTITHEFT ALARM SYSTEM
889 KEYLESS - GO
8XXL ASIA
915 FUEL TANK WITH GREATER CAPACITY - VOLUME 2
919 AIRCON COOLING POWER PACKAGE
927 EURO 6 TECHNOLOGY EXHAUST GAS CLEANING
950 AMG SPORTS PACKAGE
954 EQUIPMENT PACKAGE FOR AVANTGARDE VEHICLES
A21 SHIFT BY WIRE
A22 NEW CONVERTER GENERATION
A24 JOINT FLANGE, 4-ARM 120
A31 SOFTWARE (INDIVIDUAL)
A35 SOFTWARE 1
A36 TORQUE CONVERTER HOUSING AGA
A49 CONVERTER WITH 3 FRICTION DISKS
A52 R- VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY WITH VGS 3
A89 REDUCED-FRICTION
F212 MODEL SERIES 212
FS COMBI - VEHICLE
G902 TRANSMISSION CODE VERSION 02
GA AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
HA REAR AXLE
J1A NAT2 WITH OPTIMIZED DSM
J52 ADDITIONAL CODE FOR DAMPING MAT
J82 FULL-LOAD VENTILATION OM668
K10 SOFTWARE CONTROL FOR STATIC CURVE ILLUMINATION
K11 ADAPTIVE STOP LIGHT FLASHING
K17 CONTROL CODE FOR SERVICE INTERVAL 10000 KM
M019 SERVICE REPOSITIONED
M020 BLUETEC
M30 DISPLACEMENT 3. 0 LITER
M642 V6 DIESEL ENGINE OM642
P54 THEFT PROTECTION PACKAGE
R RIGHT-HAND STEERING
R01 SUMMER TIRES
U26 FLOOR MATS - AMG
U42 DIESEL EXHAUST TREATMENT BLUETEC SCR GENERATION 1
U60 PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION - ACTIVE ENGINE HOOD
U72 DVD PLAYER WITH REGIONAL CODE 2, EUROPE, JAPAN
V60 SPEED- + LOAD INDEX 97Y XL
VL FRONT AXLE HALF, LEFT
VR FRONT AXLE HALF, RIGHT
197U OBSIDIAN BLACK
231A LEATHER-BLACK / ANTHRACITE
M642 V6 DIESEL ENGINE OM642
EXTERIOR
Exterior Condition is superb. This car was awarded a grade 4. 0B at Japanese trade auction, which makes it one of the best condition examples available, at the time we purchased it. Aside from minor scratches to the wheels and minor stone chips (which we've carefully touched-in), the car's condition is superb, with ZERO underside corrosion. Being a Japanese model, sourced from the Tokyo region, this E350 Bluetec AMG Night Package has never been exposed to salted winter roads. As part of our bespoke service, we also made sure we selected an example that had usually been stored indoors, when not in use. For this reason, the paintwork is still in excellent condition.
Naturally, as part of our inspection process, we have detailed the paintwork professionally & maintained it to ensure it's as best protected as possible and it's notable that no pin-dents or blemishes were found on any of the bodywork. All paint is factory original.
INTERIOR
The interior is similarly like new and includes original dealer-option fitted AMG floor mats. As a one-owner car since late 2011, it has never been smoked in. There are no scratches to the wood veneers and the Black/ Anthracite leather interior is like new throughout. The rear seats fold forward electrically. Note the AMG spec. front seats are fully electric, inclusive of lumbar settings.
In addition, there is a retractable luggage cover and safety net, when carrying taller loads. The boot lid can be opened remotely, either using the security key fob or by pressing a switch located in the driver's door pocket. When the boot opens, the tonneau cover also rises electrically. Closing requires the button on the boot lid to be pressed, for safety reasons. Having driven this very car ourselves for the last 6-months, we can testify they're excellent, robust and comfortable cruisers, perfect for carrying a family of 4-5 people regularly, with all the luggage carrying necessities catered for, inclusive of long-distance trips. We've been pleasantly surprised at how good these are and are therefore now enthusiasts for this model too.
ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
The OM642 engine was originally developed for the 211 models (2006-on E320 diesel) and this powerplant continued to be shared with Chrysler-Jeep models in the U. S. It's a strong unit. In Ad-Blue® guise, Mercedes’ Bluetec urea-injection system scrubs the exhaust clean of almost all its NOx emissions and makes the car Euro 6 (ULEZ) compliant. Producing 211 hp, the diesel V-6 packs a 400-lb-ft wallop. That’s more torque than the E550 V8's 391 lb-ft, thus offering effortless cruising abilities. Being a modern Diesel, despite having 2, 987cc, it's entirely possible to get 38 mpg on a long run, especially if making use of the effortless cruise-control function.
The AMG Speedshift TCT transmission is best left in E-mode, although S (sport) and M (manual) models can be selected at the press of a button on the centre console.
Being a car we have been custodians of ourselves, we have continued to improve it. To keep the engine's intake as clean as possible of carbon deposits, we fitted a closed-circuit oil-mist catch tank, complete with an easy drain tap. We obtained a Racechip Type-S ECU reflash and the car's performance has been increased by a modest 24 bhp (Rated to 235 bhp instead of 211bhp) with a useful 84 Nm torque improvement (now close to 500 lb-ft!). We have also replaced the NOx sensors, as these have been known to fail.
Having been serviced since new by Yanase (Mercedes official dealers in Japan) and for the last 6, 000+ km, run by ourselves, the oil on this car has been regularly changed with the highest quality synthetics of the correct grading, to maximise long-term reliability. This car is mostly used by Newera Imports director's wife, who tends to drive slowly & carefully. Mileage will increase gradually as time goes by, so ask for an update when enquiring of this car.
WHEELS, BRAKES & SUSPENSION
Original AMG specification includes 18" wheels, fitted with sports low profile tyres (There is no spare wheel since space is taken by the Ad-Blue® tank). These offer a sportier ride than the higher-profile 17" Avantgarde design wheels and are likely to better suit drivers of more enthusiastic nature, who prefer looks and performance, to a mild increase in "waftiness"!
The rear suspension includes air-springs which are self-levelling, meaning that the ride height remains constant, regardless of weight being carried in the form of passengers, or luggage. We have replaced the air springs as part of our maintenance work, since they were losing pressure over the course of a week. Now the car can be unused for long periods and the rear does not sag over time.
Ride in this example remains excellent, as should be expected of a high-grade e-class model.
CONDITION REPORT
Condition is much like new throughout. No pin dents, nor any non-original paint, except for a few small stone-chips, which we have touched in. Wheels have no corrosion and finish is original. There are some minor scratches (This design is easily kerbed, so it's best to use the door mirrors to check the kerb distance, when parking) to each wheel. We have recently replaced all 4 tyres.
The interior is unmarked, aside from a few light scratches to the lower plastics of the front footwells and some minor wear to the driver's seat bolster. All electrics work perfectly and the car has a full Mercedes-Benz Japan history. We checked the ECU for fault-code history and there is none to report. We did notice during preparation that the rear air springs were losing pressure, so we replaced these with new items for good measure.
TEST DRIVE
Performance of the E350 Bluetec is effortless as standard, with enough torque to pull strongly, even when fully laden. The driving experience of this example is described as faultlessly smooth, with a robust feel. The performance is about to be improved, at time of writing, as we await the Racechip (Type-S), which is highly regarded.
The suspension feels tight and compliant, offering taught and confidence-inspiring handling. We have set the instrumentation to display in English (As opposed to Japanese) and MPH + km/ h are both displayed.
The entertainment system similarly works for EU channels and displays in English and is of very high quality. It's a joy to listen to music from our iPhone on this car and the hands-free telephone controls work well too. In truth, we're in no hurry to sell this example, as we'll only be forced to try to find another and know this spec. is very rare and hard to find. The boss' wife won't be best pleased if the car is sold...
HISTORY
This example includes a full Mercedes-Benz service history since new, which also proves original mileage. We have checked the ECU codes for previous faults and none were found. In addition, we have given the car a complete health check & B Spec. service. It's ready for continued reliable & robust daily use.
