Mercedes-Benz To Build M-Class Coupe In Alabama: Report
Mercedes-Benz will add a fifth model to the production line in its Tuscaloosa, Ala., plant, according to Automotive News.
The new model will be a version of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class crossover, but will sport a swooping, coupe-like roofline similar to the 2011 BMW X6 crossover.
Although the 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class has already started production, the M-Class coupe (likely to be called either the MLC or the GLS) won’t be built before 2015. The new vehicle is part of a $2 billion investment in the Alabama facility announced by Daimler AG last week.
In addition to the 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class, the Alabama plant will be used to produce C-Class, R-Class and GL-Class vehicles in the coming years.
Expansion of the M-Class product line is part of Mercedes’ long term-plans for both its vehicle catalog and its Alabama facility. Even before the first M-Class crossover came off the assembly line, Mercedes’ executives had plans to expand the M-Class from a single vehicle to an entire product line.
While BMW's X6 isn't the best-selling vehicle in the company's lineup, annual sales of some 46,000 units are enough to convince Mercedes-Benz that a rival vehicle is warranted.
[Automotive News (subscription required) via Motor Authority]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
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