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The 2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class, as seen in these spy photos, has received quite a makeover. It has a new face, including grille, hood, bumper, headlights, LED running lights, and side mirrors. In back, it gets a new bumper, LED lights, and exhaust.

It still looks like a rolling loaf of bread, but now in a good way.

According to the shooter, it should get an engine update too, to comply with regulations. Look for the new R-Class at the Detroit show in January.

Can’t wait until January? Lucky you, there’s a gallery above. The photographer’s comments follow.

Mercedes are giving their R-Class a major make over, but will that help to make the ugly duckling to a beautiful swan?
The R-Class was never a bad car, it was just too expensive, too big and hmm……to ugly. And the market didn’t want a car that was more of an ugly four-wheel drive, S-Class van, at least not that many customers. So the first step was to offer the R-Class in a front-wheel drive version as well to make it cheaper, didn’t help. Second step, make the AMG exterior package standard to make it look better, didn’t help either.
So that leaves us to this step, try to make it less ugly with more radical methods. The rear was never the problem, but the front….the current R-Class has a face only a mother could love.
 And as we can see on these fresh spyphotos of an R-Class prototype with only minimal disguise the operation was a success. This car finally looks good, really good. The completely new front gives the car the looks it should have had from the start. Bigger and more upright grille, new head lights, new hood, new front bumper with LED day-driving lights and new side mirrors. The rear will only get smaller changes, like a newly shaped bumper with new exhaust pipes and LED rear lights with a new graphic.
Engines will also be updated to the new standards and we expect to see the face lifted R-Class at the Detroit Car Show in January as a 2011 model.