Autocar March 1, 2023

NO CAR MAKER has been more adept at expanding its range and finding ever more niches to fill in recent years than Mercedes-Benz. A look at our data pages (p72) shows Mercedes has 29 models, only one less than Ford and VW combined. But how many’s too many? Mercedes’ rapid growth over the past decade – which at times has put it ahead of rivals Audi and BMW in the global sales charts – has created a situation where its models compete with one another, with confused nomenclatures and hierarchy. It’s been hard to keep up. Mercedes is taking steps to remedy this, by halving the line-up of its smallest models (p4). Gone will be the A-Class and B-Class, a sign of the market moving from more traditional segments to…

NO CAR MAKER has been more adept at expanding its range and finding ever more niches to fill in recent years than Mercedes-Benz. A look at our data pages (p72) shows Mercedes has 29 models, only one less than Ford and VW combined. But how many’s too many? Mercedes’ rapid growth over the past decade – which at times has put it ahead of rivals Audi and BMW in the global sales charts – has created a situation where its models compete with one another, with confused nomenclatures and hierarchy. It’s been hard to keep up. Mercedes is taking steps to remedy this, by halving the line-up of its smallest models (p4). Gone will be the A-Class and B-Class, a sign of the market moving from more traditional segments to crossovers and…

“The CLA saloon will be joined by successors to the CLA Shooting Brake, GLA/EQA and GLB/EQB” Mercedes-Benz is preparing to take on the Tesla Model 3 with an all-new thirdgeneration CLA that offers the choice of in-house-developed electric and mild-hybrid petrol drivetrains. The new four-door coupé-style saloon is set to be previewed in concept car guise at the Munich motor show in September prior to a planned start to UK sales in early 2025. As part of recent moves to simplify the naming of Mercedes-Benz’s models, the new CLA is expected to retain its traditional name in both pure-electric and combustionengined forms, rather than adopt the EQ sub-branding given to electric models today. It is among four new ‘Entry Luxury’ models pencilled in for launch by Mercedes-Benz over the next…

“The CLA saloon will be joined by successors to the CLA Shooting Brake, GLA/EQA and GLB/EQB” Mercedes-Benz is preparing to take on the Tesla Model 3 with an all-new thirdgeneration CLA that offers the choice of in-house-developed electric and mild-hybrid petrol drivetrains. The new four-door coupé-style saloon is set to be previewed in concept car guise at the Munich motor show in September prior to a planned start to UK sales in early 2025. As part of recent moves to simplify the naming of Mercedes-Benz’s models, the new CLA is expected to retain its traditional name in both pure-electric and combustionengined forms, rather than adopt the EQ sub-branding given to electric models today. It is among four new ‘Entry Luxury’ models pencilled in for launch by Mercedes-Benz over the next three years as part…

It’s rare that a pricing confirmation should send shockwaves through the industry, but the announcement that the new Mercedes EQE SUV will command upwards of £90,000 felt like a bucket of cold water to the face. It’s a pretty glaring indicator of the way the industry is going – and not a promising one. But with the emergence of a new ‘Entry Luxury’ family comes a hint of reassurance that the three-pointed star hasn’t totally forgotten about the National League football players in its pursuit of the more lucrative Premier League market. In keeping with a wider industry shift towards profit over volumes, Mercedes is keen to enhance and promote the luxury appeal of its largest and most opulent offerings but isn’t ready to cut its smaller cars out entirely. We will…

It’s rare that a pricing confirmation should send shockwaves through the industry, but the announcement that the new Mercedes EQE SUV will command upwards of £90,000 felt like a bucket of cold water to the face. It’s a pretty glaring indicator of the way the industry is going – and not a promising one. But with the emergence of a new ‘Entry Luxury’ family comes a hint of reassurance that the three-pointed star hasn’t totally forgotten about the National League football players in its pursuit of the more lucrative Premier League market. In keeping with a wider industry shift towards profit over volumes, Mercedes is keen to enhance and promote the luxury appeal of its largest and most opulent offerings but isn’t ready to cut its smaller cars out entirely.…