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Mercedes-Benz to build new ML coupe-crossover in Alabama in 2015

Mercedes-Benz will expand its factory in Tuscaloosa, AL, to build the ML Coupe, a new crossover that will join its lineup in 2015. Mercedes will also ramp up production to build facelifted versions of the M-Class and GL-Class SUVs, lifting the factory's total production capacity to about 300,000 units annually in 2015. It made 185,000 vehicles in 2013. In addition to SUVs, the Tuscaloosa site also makes the C-Class sedan.
The plans come as part of Mercedes' strategy to capitalize on Americans' increasing demands for SUVs. The company said the SUV market was up 12 percent in first half of 2014, and expects it to grow at twice the rate of the regular market in 2015 and 2016.
"We are seeing climbing demand for SUVs." - Dieter Zetsche

Next Mercedes-Benz GLK to get AMG variant? Not likely...

If you think Mercedes-Benz will slap an AMG badge on anything with wheels, think again. Word has it the German manufacturer will not offer buyers a performance version of the GLK, with Tobias Moers, director of AMG vehicle development, saying that he doesn't see a market for the car. That's not to say the picture won't change in the near future, however. According to CarAdvice.com, AMG is keeping a close eye on the arrival of the Porsche Macan.
"Maybe there will be a change in the market when the Porsche [Macan] comes up," Moers said, "but right now, no."
The real hitch in the giddy-up seems to be cost. Moers says developing the machine into something worthy of an AMG would represent "a huge investment." We can't exactly argue with that. Fortunately, AMG buyers have plenty of Mercedes-Benz models to choose from.

2021 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 First Drive | Fat cat money

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Do you like the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, but just donÂ’t think itÂ’s fancy or expensive enough as it is? Maybe the AMG version is too audaciously sporty or you'd prefer a completely different flavor of garish. Maybe you donÂ’t want to be seen driving the GLS at all. If youÂ’re looking for the perfect GLS to be driven in, but need to make sure you look more like the type of fat cat to blow money on lavish, boozy dinners and decorative fountains than the pro baller who splurges on a home gym and tennis courts, Mercedes finally has the giant SUV just for you: the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600. Is this tongue-in-cheek straw man in any way indicative of an actual Maybach owner? Who knows. We can barely comprehend how rich someone might be who can afford this $161,525 ultra-luxury SUV (before any options) let alone actually know someone of such largesse. Nevertheless, the GLS upon which it's based is certainly no stranger to us. We first drove the GLS 470 in Austria's Tyrolean Alps, sampled the AMG GLS 63 in the Columbia River Gorge, and nominated its bouncy E-Active Body Control suspension for AutoblogÂ’s 2020 Technology of the Year Award. Most of the same ingredients are present in the Maybach 600, but just one look at this two-tone luxury liner requires you to rethink the scope of what the GLS can do. While the overall body style looks more or less the same, there was no mistaking our tester for an ordinary GLS, or even an extraordinary AMG model. The two-tone paint — Lunar Blue Metallic below, and Iridium Silver Metallic from the beltline up — shouts to passersby (in an aristocratic German accent, presumably) that thereÂ’s something different going on here. The optional wheels, which get their own Maybach design, measure an absolutely massive 23 inches. Perched on the nose is the nearly extinct Mercedes hood ornament. The final giveaway comes when you move in a little closer and see the Maybach badging on the grille, tailgate and D-pillars. But seriously, that paint job is something else. The exterior doesnÂ’t quite do justice to what awaits within. The driverÂ’s door opens to a rich, inviting and clearly technologically advanced cockpit. The dual screen dash housing the instrument panel and infotainment touchscreen is becoming familiar from GLS down to GLA, as are the multitude of controls on the wheel and center console with which one can easily interact with them.