Mercedes-Benz said in an official statement that the company plans to restructure its US plant's production line and expand its SUV capacity to meet consumer demand.
Previously, the Tuscaloosa plant in Mercedes-Benz, Alabama, was responsible for the production of R-class MPVs. After the production line was adjusted, the R-class cars will be produced by AM General Motors, which will produce M-class, GL-class and newly launched GLE. Coupé.
At the end of last year, Mercedes-Benz has announced a new naming scheme for its future models. The M-class will be renamed GLE-class, and the GL-class will be replaced by the GLS-class. This year, Mercedes-Benz will upgrade almost all its SUV lineups and introduce new naming. SUV remodeled models.
Jason Hoff, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz, said that thanks to the launch of GLE Coupé and the strong demand for SUVs, the Mercedes-Benz SUV will maintain its growth momentum in 2015, while the Tuscaloosa plant will achieve “maximum capacity utilization”. Mercedes-Benz expects production capacity at the Tuscaloosa plant this year to reach 300,000 units/year.
Mercedes-Benz currently has capacity at the Bremen plant in Germany, the East London plant in South Africa and the Beijing Benz plant in China (BBAC).
Since 2013, the Mercedes-Benz R-Class has only been launched in the Chinese market, and AM General will start producing the car for Mercedes-Benz at the South Bend plant in Indiana this summer.