Giant, Metal Mercedes-Benz Grille Is Making a Comeback

For over 100 years, Mercedes-Benz has been home to giant grilles. The faces of its cars wore metal masks that allowed their engines to breathe for generations before grille sizes shrank as aerodynamics became the name of the game. Now, they’re returning.

Engineers have spent years working to deliver a modern version of the company’s segmented metal grille. The result is a new-age look that combines metal with a lattice structure, delivering heritage-related modernity.

Its design leans heavily into the Mercedes-Benz W111 era. That version of models was popular with buyers, ultimately resulting in the company producing and selling around 350,000 vehicles between 1959 and 1971.

Each new grille is created using a multi-stage process. At its base, the new grille is several injection-molded polycarbonate parts. Then the parts undergo a multi-stage dipping process similar to how chrome is applied.

The finished look is a grille with a smoked-glass-effect lattice structure with 942 “dots” over six segments, backed by 140 LEDs. Unlike previous versions of metal grille worn by vintage Mercedes-Benz models, this new grille does not have inlets where air can flow through. It’s unnecessary as the grille will front an electric vehicle.

The LEDs bring the grille to electronic life with a welcome and goodbye animation. In certain markets, including the U.S., the Mercedes-Benz three-point star logo at the center of the grille will also illuminate. While animated at walk-up and walk-off, the illumination pattern settles into a static state when the vehicle is in operation.

Owners can opt for the grille to be illumination-capable or not, but cannot turn off the grille at will if they opt for one that is illuminated, nor can they control any of the animations.

“Our new iconic grille is not just a new front for the GLC, it redefines the face of our brand. It is the perfect fusion of lasting design codes reinterpreted for the future, making our cars instantly recognizable,” Gorden Wagener, chief design officer at Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said in a press release.

The grille will be seen for the first time on the new Mercedes-Benz GLC battery-electric vehicle, when it debuts on September 7 at IAA Mobility in Munich.