The new nomenclature has been made to simplify the product lineup for the future as close to 30 new models will be added to the Mercedes portfolio by 2020.
In a further move, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer of premium automobiles will start 2015 by launching a new nomenclature, the system used for the designation of its various model series and engine types, so providing its customers with a simple and transparent way to find their bearings around its ever-growing portfolio of models.
“The Mercedes-Benz brand stands for the aspiration to deliver ‘The best’ in terms of products, technology and services. For us, this means that we offer our customers vehicles that, by virtue of their different characteristics and specific flair, are able to fit in with all sorts of individual lifestyles. In the S-Class segment in particular, customers have very high expectations with regard to exclusivity and individuality.
Simple and transparent nomenclature to provide customers with better orientation
The Mercedes-Benz model portfolio has expanded rapidly in recent years and continues to grow. The comprehensive model initiative that is currently successfully under way means that, by 2020, the Stuttgart-based premium brand will have brought more than 30 models on to the market worldwide, among them at least eleven that have no precursor in the current product portfolio. On top of this come the different body variants and drive systems. This results in an increasingly complex situation when it comes to naming the various models. “After more than 20 years of continuity involving some of the most recognised and successful product names in the world, we are now making our system of vehicle nomenclature even more understandable. Bearing in mind the international appeal of our brand, our plan has been to devise an even simpler, more transparent and more logical system for the designations of our model series, with the aim of providing clear orientation for our customers”, said Dr Jens Thiemer during the launch of the new nomenclature. “Now is the ideal time to do this, for in 2015 we will be updating virtually our whole SUV model range, providing us with the perfect starting point for renaming the whole family of vehicles.”
The system behind the new nomenclature is simple, clear and transparent. The model designation is always an acronym made up of between one and three upper-case letters. The different types of engine are indicated by a lower-case letter. The system centres around the five core model series, A, B, C, E and S, which will continue to be used to provide orientation for our customers. In the case of the model designations for the SUVs, in a tribute to the legendary G‑Class, all SUV models will in the future have the first two letters “GL” in their name. The “G” here denotes the car’s lineage. The “L” is a letter that appears time and time again over the history of Mercedes-Benz. It is a linking letter that makes the model designations easier to remember and easier to pronounce; one that is familiar from the legendary SL, for example, or from the more recent CLS and CLA. It is followed by the third letter, which indicates the relationship to the relevant core model series. In specific terms:
Here’s where it gets complicated:
SUVs:
Mercedes SUVs are a bit different – from now on, they all start with the letters ‘GL’, a nod to the famous G-Class. After that comes the model line, so the GLA is the GL A-Class.
Here’s the full run-down:
GLA = GL A-Class
GLC = GL C-Class; previously GLK
GLE = GL E-Class; previously M-Class or ML
GLE Coupé = GL E-Class Coupé
GLS = GL S-Class; previously GL
G unchanged
Four-door coupes:
It’s a similar story here. The first two letters are CL, followed by the core model. So CLA and CLS, as before.
Roadsters:
From 2016 on all Roadsters start with SL. Confusingly for some, the SLK will be called the SLC from now on.
AMGs:
AMG-Mercedes is considered a separate sub-brand, so it gets its own nomenclature for upcoming models such as the GT and C63.
“More clarity, more transparency, more consistency for Mercedes-Benz customers – we are convinced that our new nomenclature will support us in achieving this objective. The logic built up on the basis of the core model series will enable our customers to find their way round our growing product portfolio far better”, was the way Dr Jens Thiemer summarised the new nomenclature.