Photo: Daimler AG
Even though Mercedes-Benz USA has already started production of their first non-SUV/crossover model at their plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with the all-new C-Class W205 earlier this week, they won't switch their main raison d'être.
We are naturally talking about the manufacture of crossovers and SUVs, since the Alabama plant was up until now building the M-Class, GLA-Class and the ill-fated R-Class.
As some of you know, the upcoming Mercedes-Benz MLC (or M-Class/ML Coupe, as some recent reports say that it will be called, ed) will also be manufactured on the aforementioned site, making it the fifth three-pointed star model to sport the “Made in USA” moniker.
With that being said, Mercedes-Benz recently announced that it plans to “significantly” increase the production of their American facility, albeit spokespersons from the company declined to say by how much.
The production capacity of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama was around 185,000 cars until 2013, but that number will surely increase this year with the recent introduction of the C-Class on the production line, while the MLC will raise the output even further.
Speaking with Automotive News , a Daimler AG spokesperson said that the planned production jump in the US will be “significantly above our previous capacity of SUV production.”
Putting two and two together, or in this case the C-Class and the MLC, we wouldn't be surprised if in 2015 the Mercedes-Benz production capacity in the United States will be at around 300,000 cars annually.
While that may seem like a lot compared to what the Stuttgart manufacturer has now, keep in mind that their arch-enemies from BMW recently announced an increase of their US production by no less than 50 percent (450,000 cars) by 2016, so we're actually waiting for yet another Mercedes-Benz model to be manufactured alongside the M-Class, GL-Class, R-Class, C-Class and MLC at the Alabama plant in the upcoming years.
As some of you know, the upcoming Mercedes-Benz MLC (or M-Class/ML Coupe, as some recent reports say that it will be called, ed) will also be manufactured on the aforementioned site, making it the fifth three-pointed star model to sport the “Made in USA” moniker.
With that being said, Mercedes-Benz recently announced that it plans to “significantly” increase the production of their American facility, albeit spokespersons from the company declined to say by how much.
The production capacity of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama was around 185,000 cars until 2013, but that number will surely increase this year with the recent introduction of the C-Class on the production line, while the MLC will raise the output even further.
Speaking with Automotive News , a Daimler AG spokesperson said that the planned production jump in the US will be “significantly above our previous capacity of SUV production.”
Putting two and two together, or in this case the C-Class and the MLC, we wouldn't be surprised if in 2015 the Mercedes-Benz production capacity in the United States will be at around 300,000 cars annually.
While that may seem like a lot compared to what the Stuttgart manufacturer has now, keep in mind that their arch-enemies from BMW recently announced an increase of their US production by no less than 50 percent (450,000 cars) by 2016, so we're actually waiting for yet another Mercedes-Benz model to be manufactured alongside the M-Class, GL-Class, R-Class, C-Class and MLC at the Alabama plant in the upcoming years.
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