New Mercedes Model Names Officially Confirmed and Explained

To ensure its customers know exactly what model they want and where it stands in the range, the German car company has completely revised the naming system, not only for the cars themselves, but also for the engines that power them.

Core models

Mercedes-Benz considers the A-Class, B-Class, C-Class, E-Class and S-Class as core models. These hatchbacks, tourers, sedans, coupes and estates will keep their current names.

"After more than 20 years of continuity involving some of the most recognized and successful product names in the world, we are now making our system of vehicle nomenclature even more understandable. Bearing in mind the international appeal of our brand, our plan has been to devise an even simpler, more transparent and more logical system for the designations of our model series, with the aim of providing clear orientation for our customers", said Dr Jens Thiemer during the launch of the new nomenclature.

"Now is the ideal time to do this, for in 2015 we will be updating virtually our whole SUV model range, providing us with the perfect starting point for renaming the whole family of vehicles," adds Thiemer.

Crossover and SUV models

Just as the rumors suggested, all crossover and SUV models wearing the three-pointed star badge will start with GL. The "G" denotes the car's lineage, connected to the famous Geländewagen (or cross-country vehicle),. The "L" is a letter that appears over the history of Mercedes-Benz and it make pronunciation simpler.

All SUV names will now denote their position within the rage in comarison to the core models. So for example the GLK will become a GLC because it's a compact premium model like the C-Class. Meanwhile, the ML will become the GLE because it's a mid-size like the E-Class and the old GL will be called GLS starting in 2015.

Mercedes has also officially confirmed the existence of the GLE Coupe, its rival for the BMW X6. Although not officially confirmed yet, a GLB model is also planned and should arrive in 2018.

Roadsters and four-door coupe models

The system for the 4-door coupe and roadsters are constructed along similar lines. The first two letters are CL or SL. However, the only model that's actually getting a new name is the SLK, which will become the SLC. That change won't come until 2016, when we'll likely get a mid-life update for the SLK.

Lower case letter for engine types

All the different types of engines Mercedes offers will receive new designations according to the type of fuel used. In the future, the boot lids of all models will in future feature lower-case letters according to these meanings:

• c for "compressed natural gas"   (Natural Gas Drive until now)
• d for "diesel"   (BlueTEC or CDI until now)
• e for "electric"   (PLUG-IN HYBRID, BlueTEC PLUG-IN HYBRID and Electric Drive until now)
• f for "fuel cell"   (F-CELL until now)
• h for "hybrid"   (HYBRID and BlueTEC HYBRID until now)

"More clarity, more transparency, more consistency for Mercedes-Benz customers – we are convinced that our new nomenclature will support us in achieving this objective. The logic built up on the basis of the core model series will enable our customers to find their way round our growing product portfolio far better", was the way Dr Jens Thiemer summarised the new nomenclature.