Photo: Mercedes
Mercedes is on the verge of significantly reshuffling its lineup, and during this process, lots of vehicles will be killed, starting with wagons, which are no longer profitable, to coupes. To put it this way, only 14 of the 33 body styles will survive the killing spree.
Part of their long-term strategic plan, announced in May 2022, the decision is pretty much based on finances, as the company wants to become even more profitable. Back then, they didn’t go into specifics, but more recently, Car&Driver learned more details about the models that will be phased off.
Citing “several top managers,” they state that among the vehicles that will be killed are the coupe and convertible versions of the C-Class and E-Class. That’s no surprise, honestly, as the CLE Coupe and CLE Convertible will take on. One surprising move, however, is the demise of the CLS, which is said to be dropped altogether in 2024. The AMG GT 4-Door Coupe will reportedly follow shortly after, which means that the more upscale proposal to the CLS, featuring the same underpinnings, but a different body, will only live a single generation.
Another very surprising move, one that probably no one outside the Stuttgart brand saw coming, is the killing of crossover coupes. The death knell is understood to sound for the GLC Coupe and GLE Coupe after the next generations arrive in the coming years, meaning that Mercedes will be left without contenders to the likes of the BMW X4 and X6. It should be interesting to see whether they will be simply discontinued, with no successors in the pipeline, or if they will be indirectly replaced by zero-emission models, with similar proportions and body styles, and different names.
Wagons and Shooting Brakes are on the death list too, with the quoted outlet stating that the five-door C-Class will be retired after 2028, the next-gen E-Class, expected in a few months, being the last of its kind to offer an Estate body style. The third-gen CLA, reportedly due in 2025, is going electric and will offer the last Shooting Brake derivative.
“At the end of the day, we simply don’t need estate cars or underperforming two-door offerings to boost volumes,” a senior member of the brand’s strategy team told C&D. “The most essential elements of sustainable contemporary luxury cars are space and time. That’s our number one priority – not another fancy body style, a model that only works in Europe, or one last stab at a dying segment.”
On a more positive note, there are some hot cars in the making, including the new Mercedes-AMG GT, which will share its nuts and bolts with the latest SL and will spawn a Maybach version. A new four-door coupe is believed to launch in 2026, alongside the next-gen SL said to offer more room for backseat occupants and a more generous cargo area. The GLG, described as “a chunky SUV,” should premiere in 2026, with EV power, built on the MMA platform, alongside a G-Class pickup, a speedster based on the SL, and a reincarnation of the iconic Gullwing.
There will be a “greater focus” on models made by AMG and Maybach, as well as the obvious emphasis on electric vehicles, with bigger batteries and improved range, up to 500 miles (805 km) on the WLTP cycle in Europe, C&D reports.
Citing “several top managers,” they state that among the vehicles that will be killed are the coupe and convertible versions of the C-Class and E-Class. That’s no surprise, honestly, as the CLE Coupe and CLE Convertible will take on. One surprising move, however, is the demise of the CLS, which is said to be dropped altogether in 2024. The AMG GT 4-Door Coupe will reportedly follow shortly after, which means that the more upscale proposal to the CLS, featuring the same underpinnings, but a different body, will only live a single generation.
Another very surprising move, one that probably no one outside the Stuttgart brand saw coming, is the killing of crossover coupes. The death knell is understood to sound for the GLC Coupe and GLE Coupe after the next generations arrive in the coming years, meaning that Mercedes will be left without contenders to the likes of the BMW X4 and X6. It should be interesting to see whether they will be simply discontinued, with no successors in the pipeline, or if they will be indirectly replaced by zero-emission models, with similar proportions and body styles, and different names.
Wagons and Shooting Brakes are on the death list too, with the quoted outlet stating that the five-door C-Class will be retired after 2028, the next-gen E-Class, expected in a few months, being the last of its kind to offer an Estate body style. The third-gen CLA, reportedly due in 2025, is going electric and will offer the last Shooting Brake derivative.
“At the end of the day, we simply don’t need estate cars or underperforming two-door offerings to boost volumes,” a senior member of the brand’s strategy team told C&D. “The most essential elements of sustainable contemporary luxury cars are space and time. That’s our number one priority – not another fancy body style, a model that only works in Europe, or one last stab at a dying segment.”
On a more positive note, there are some hot cars in the making, including the new Mercedes-AMG GT, which will share its nuts and bolts with the latest SL and will spawn a Maybach version. A new four-door coupe is believed to launch in 2026, alongside the next-gen SL said to offer more room for backseat occupants and a more generous cargo area. The GLG, described as “a chunky SUV,” should premiere in 2026, with EV power, built on the MMA platform, alongside a G-Class pickup, a speedster based on the SL, and a reincarnation of the iconic Gullwing.
There will be a “greater focus” on models made by AMG and Maybach, as well as the obvious emphasis on electric vehicles, with bigger batteries and improved range, up to 500 miles (805 km) on the WLTP cycle in Europe, C&D reports.
Google News