Mercedes-Benz R&D chief confirms 12 all-new models by 2020 – report
Mercedes-Benz will introduce a dozen brand-new models to its line-up by 2020, the company’s research and development boss has revealed.
Speaking at the opening of the German car maker’s new R&D centre in Beijing, Mercedes-Benz R&D chief Thomas Weber confirmed the company was at the cusp of “the most intensive development cycle Mercedes-Benz has ever undertaken”.
Weber told Autocar the 12 all-new models would be “additional to our regular development activities for the replacement of existing models”, adding that they would “significantly strengthen our position within the market”. None will have a direct predecessor in Mercedes-Benz’s current range.
The identity of many of those models is already known. Development work is advanced on the CLA Shooting Brake, C-Class Cabriolet, S-Class Maybach and Pullman, and GLC and GLE Coupes.
The future may also include a sub-GLA-sized crossover to rival the Audi Q1, following yesterday’s unveiling of the Mercedes-Benz Vision G-Code.
The confirmation of the rapid model expansion comes about three weeks after Weber told CarAdvice the brand would bring 10 plug-in hybrid models to the market by 2017. Among those will be plug-in versions of the S-Class, C-Class, E-Class and GLC-Class models, as well as the A-Class, B-Class, CLA-Class and GLA-Class compacts.
0
