Mercedes-Benz to Introduce Even More SUVs

Because seven SUVs just isn’t enough for the luxury brand.

byEric Brandt|
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Mercedes-Benz widened its sales lead over long-time rival BMW in 2017. Not surprisingly, MB’s 10 percent leap in overall sales was thanks in large part to crossovers and SUVs like the diminutive GLA and compact GLC. The German luxury brand currently offers seven different utility vehicles, all of which have high-performance AMG variants. That’s a ton of different options, and according to a report from Bloomberg, it sounds like there will soon be even more.

“We see strong demand across our SUV range,” Mercedes sales and marketing boss Britta Seeger told Bloomberg at the Detroit Auto Show. “We have more ideas to add new products to our portfolio, though maybe not so much at the upper end of the SUV range for now.”

We were curious about where more crossovers could possibly fit into a seven-SUV lineup, so we reached out to Mercedes looking for clues about the future lineup. 

“I’m afraid we don’t have any additional insight to share regarding future product,” said Mercedes product and technology communications manager Christian Bokich in an email to The Drive.

Bokich gave some interesting insights about which models are popular in which parts of the U.S. 

“GLC Coupe, GLE Coupe, and G-Class are viewed by customers as more emotional products than traditional SUV body styles,” said Bokich. Apparently, those unconventional models sell well on the coasts and in the south. “Traditional SUVs have a ... broader appeal all across the USA, even in the Midwest,” said Bokich.

Bokich also shared with us part of the AMG strategy for selling more crossovers and SUVs across the Mercedes-Benz lineup. He said AMG models “have a really exciting driving experience at various price points, and also more expressive styling to match, providing a halo effect in terms of desirability.” 

Having an AMG variant of every single model in the Mercedes-Benz lineup might seem excessive, but it’s hard to deny that it’s working, considering Mercedes has been the top luxury brand in the world two years in a row.

Say what you want about the unconventional, egg-shaped crossover “coupes” coming out of Mercedes-Benz. The brand is making all of the right moves to keep its dominance in the competitive luxury car industry.

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