Mercedes-Benz plans to slim down its range of body styles in the coming years.
The image above shows the breath of E-Class models on the market, from the simple sedan to the convertible and sportier-looking coupe, a lifestyle-focused All-Terrain variant and, of course, the AMG-powered E 63 S wagon. This is just what’s available in one of Mercedes’ model lineups, and evidently that’s been weighing on the minds in Stuttgart. Now, according to reporting over at Car and Driver, there’s clarity on where, when and why the automaker will trim down its lineup in an effort to redefine its luxury image toward more exclusive (and profitable) body styles.
What exactly will that mean? Of the 33 styles Mercedes-Benz currently offers to customers in the U.S. and Europe, it will reportedly cut the range down to just 14.
The new sales mix leaves a ton of beloved, but admittedly niche, cars on the chopping block because they just don’t sell, at the end of the day. So, body styles like the C-Class and E-Class coupes, their respective convertibles, and even the wagons (excuse me while I pour one out for the E 63 S, in blue above) will meet their maker in the coming model years.
What will the cull on less popular models look like?
Mercedes-Benz is having a rethink on what it’s all about, as evidenced by a spokesperson’s comments to 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.” By “dying”, they went on to elaborate that the brand no longer needs wagons (or estate cars, in overseas markets) or underperforming coupes to define its image.
Practically speaking, we’ll lose the C-Class and E-Class convertibles and coupes first. Both convertibles will be replaced by a single model called the CLE-Class by 2024. The CLS-Class will follow, as well the AMG GT 4-Door. Not even coupe-like SUVs are safe, as the GLC and GLE will reportedly lose those variants and just stick with the SUVs after the next-generation models. While it’s already dead here in America, Europe will lose the C-Class wagon later in the decade as well.
What’s coming to replace all these dead models, then?
Moving forward, we can expect a push along the brand’s core body styles: Namely sedans, SUVs and a couple roadsters. The new AMG GT coupe will debut sometime this year, while we’ll also see a new E-Class (again, without coupe/convertible styles). The SL-Class roadster will get a Maybach variant to complement the existing AMG models, while a next-generation model will arrive in 2026, according to the report.
As you’d expect, these upcoming Mercedes-Benz models will be electric, including a large GLG-Class SUV by 2026. Larger batteries, greater driving ranges, faster charging capabilities and a marked focus on upmarket luxury will be core tenets of Mercedes’ strategy, rather than expanding out into as many market niches as it can.
With the trimming down, you can also expect a greater emphasis on both Maybach (on the luxury side) and AMG (for performance) into the future. Beyond that, though, there’s even talk of a hyper-exclusive “Mythos” range of ultra-collectible cars. Maybe not one-offs, but reasonably close.
Between lower costs on a slimmer lineup and higher margins for exclusive, glitzy cars, it seems we’ll see a dramatically different Mercedes-Benz in just a few years’ time.
