As of the Daimler AG company split, the Mercedes-Benz Cars division now handled the Mercedes-Benz- and the Smart-branded cars' production.
Mercedes-AMG became a majority-owned division of Mercedes-Benz in 1999. The company was integrated into DaimlerChrysler in 1999, and became Mercedes-Benz AMG on 1 January 1999.
Daimler's ultra-luxury Maybach brand was under the Mercedes-Benz Cars division until December 2012, when production was stopped due to decreased sales. It now exists under the Mercedes-Maybach name, with the models being luxury-focused, enhanced models of Mercedes-Benz cars, such as the 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 SUV debuted in November 2019.
Daimler partnered with BYD Auto to make and sell a battery-electric car called Denza in China. However, after reducing its stake in 2021, the Stuttgart-based company has now exited Denza completely: the Mercedes-Benz Group is no longer involved in the Chinese car brand Denza, as it sold its last ten per cent stake in Denza in July 2024. In 2016, Daimler announced plans to sell Mercedes-Benz-badged fully electric battery cars in China. Beijing Benz is a joint venture with the BAIC Group to produce the Mercedes-Benz branded cars in China.
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Vietnam
Established in 1995, Mercedes-Benz Vietnam became a joint venture between Saigon Mechanical Engineering Corporation (SAMCO) and Daimler AG. Daimler AG assembles various Mercedes-Benz models from CKD kits at its factory in Ho Chi Minh City. The factory is a joint venture with Saigon Mechanical Engineering Corporation. In 2021–2022, Mercedes-Benz Vietnam invested approximately 33 million USD to upgrade six departments at this factory in preparation for the assembly of AMG models. The 1996 Mercedes E230 was the first model produced by the Mercedes-Benz Vietnam assembly plant and was part of the initial batch assembled locally.
Production
Factories
Other than in its native birthplace, Germany, Mercedes-Benz vehicles are or have been partly manufactured or assembled in:
Quality rankings
Before the mid 1990s, Mercedes-Benz had a very strong reputation for quality and durability. Mercedes-Benz's passenger cars were considered "tanks" or "indestructible" by owners who had their own Mercedes for very long periods. Some objective reviewers looking at passenger vehicles, such as J. D. Power surveys, demonstrated a downturn in reputation by these criteria in the late 1990s and early 2000s. By mid-2005, Mercedes temporarily returned to the industry average for initial quality, a measure of problems after the first 90 days of ownership, according to J. D. Power. In J. D. Power's Initial Quality Study for the first quarter of 2007, Mercedes showed dramatic improvement by climbing from 25th to 5th place and earning several awards for its newer models. For 2008, Mercedes-Benz's initial quality rating improved by yet another mark, to 4th place. On top of this accolade, it also received the Platinum Plant Quality Award for its Mercedes branded Sindelfingen, Germany body assembly plant. J. D. Power's 2011 US Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability Studies both ranked Mercedes-Benz vehicles above average in build quality and reliability. In J. D. Power's United Kingdom Survey in 2011, Mercedes cars were rated above average. Additionally, iSeeCars.com study for Reuters in 2014 found Mercedes to have the lowest vehicle recall rate out of competitors.
Models
Current model range
Mercedes-Benz currently offers a range of consumer-passenger, light commercial and heavy commercial equipment, which are manufactured in multiple countries worldwide. The Smart marque of city cars are also produced by Daimler AG.
Automobiles
A-Class – C-segment hatchback and saloon
B-Class – C-segment hatchback
C-Class – D-segment saloon and estate
CLA – C-segment saloon and estate
CLE – E-segment coupé and cabriolet
E-Class – E-segment saloon and estate
G-Class – Off-road vehicle
GLA – C-segment crossover SUV
GLB – D-segment crossover SUV
GLC – D-segment crossover SUV
GLE – E-segment crossover SUV
GLS – F-segment crossover SUV
S-Class – F-segment saloon
T-Class – M-segment compact MPV
V-Class – M-segment large MPV
AMG GT – S-segment coupé and roadster
AMG GT 4-Door – E-segment liftback
AMG SL – S-segment roadster
AMG ONE – S-segment supercar
EQA – C-segment electric crossover SUV
EQB – D-segment electric crossover SUV
EQE – E-segment saloon
EQE SUV – E-segment electric crossover SUV
EQS – F-segment electric liftback
EQS SUV – F-segment electric crossover SUV
EQT – M-segment electric compact MPV
EQV – M-segment electric large MPV
Vans
Mercedes-Benz currently offers three types of vans; Citan, Vito, and Sprinter. They are all produced by Daimler AG.
Trucks
Since December 2021, the Mercedes-Benz Trucks division is part of the Daimler Truck company and includes other sub-companies that were part of the DaimlerChrysler merger. Gottlieb Daimler sold the world's first truck in 1886. Their first factory to be built outside Germany after World War II was in Argentina. They originally built trucks, many of which were modified by third parties to be used as buses, popularly named Colectivo.
Buses
Mercedes-Benz has been producing buses since 1895 in Mannheim, Germany. Since 1995, the brands of Mercedes-Benz's buses and coaches are under the umbrella of EvoBus GmbH, since December 2021 belonging to Daimler Truck AG. EvoBus, through its regional subsidiaries, markets them in European countries, while in other regions of the world marketing and sales duties are passed to regional subsidiaries of Daimler Truck. Mercedes-Benz produces a wide range of buses and coaches, mainly for Europe and Asia. The first model was produced by Karl Benz in 1895.
Significant models produced
The Mercedes-Benz 600 or 600S Pullman Guard limousines offer the option of armour-plating and have been used by diplomats worldwide.
Pre-1994
Until 1994, Mercedes-Benz utilized an alphanumeric system for categorizing its vehicles, consisting of a number sequence approximately equal to the engine's displacement in liters multiplied by 100, followed by an arrangement of alphabetical suffixes, indicating body style and engine type.
"C" indicates a coupe or cabriolet body style (for example, the CL and CLK models, though the C-Class is an exception, since it is also available as a sedan or station wagon).
"D" indicates the vehicle is equipped with a diesel engine.
"E" (for "Einspritzung") indicates the vehicle's engine is equipped with petrol fuel injection. Also used for electric models and plug-in hybrids.
"G" was originally used for the Geländewagen off-road vehicle, but is now applied to Mercedes SUVs in general (G, GLA, GLC, GLE, GLK, and GLS).
"K" was used in the 1930s, indicating a supercharger ("Kompressor") equipped engine. Three exceptions: the SLK, SSK and CLK, where K indicates "Kurz" (short-wheelbase) (though the SLK and SSK had a supercharger).
"L" indicates "Leicht" (lightweight) for sporting models and "Lang" (long-wheelbase) for sedan models.
"R" indicates "Rennen" (racing), used for racing cars (for example, the 300SLR).
"S" Sonderklasse "Special class" for flagship models, including the S-Class, SLR McLaren, and SLS sports cars.
"T" indicates "Touring" and an estate (or station wagon) body style.
Some models in the 1950s also had lower-case letters (b, c, and d) to indicate specific trim levels. For other models, the numeric part of the designation does not match the engine displacement. This was done to show the model's position in the model range independent of displacement or in the price matrix. For these vehicles, the actual displacement in litres is suffixed to the model designation. An exception was the 190-class with the numeric designation of "190" as to denote its entry-level in the model along with the displacement label on the right side of the boot (190E 2.3 for 2.3-litre 4-cylinder petrol motor, 190D 2.5 for 2.5-litre 5-cylinder diesel motor, and so forth). Some older models (such as the SS and SSK) did not have a number as part of the designation at all.
1994 to 2014
For the 1994 model year, Mercedes-Benz revised the naming system. Models were divided into "classes" denoted by an arrangement of up to three letters (see "Current model range" above. This in turn is followed by a three-digit (two-digit for AMG models) number related to the engine displacement as before. Variants of the same model such as an estate version or a vehicle with a diesel engine are no longer given a separate letter. The SLR and SLS supercars do not carry a numerical designation.
Some models carry further designations indicating special features:
"4MATIC" indicates the vehicle is equipped with all-wheel-drive.
"BlueTEC" indicates a diesel engine with selective catalytic reduction exhaust after-treatment.
"BlueEFFICIENCY" indicates special fuel economy features (direct injection, start-stop system, aerodynamic modifications, etc.)
"CGI" (Charged Gasoline Injection) indicates direct petrol injection.
"CDI" (Common-rail Direct Injection) indicates a common-rail diesel engine.
"Hybrid" indicates a petrol- or diesel-electric hybrid.
"NGT" indicates a natural gas-fuelled engine.
"Kompressor" indicates a supercharged engine.
"Turbo" indicates a turbocharged engine, only used on A-, B-, E- and GLK-Class models.
"AMG Line" indicates the interior or engine, depending which car, has been fitted with the luxuries of its AMG sports cars.
Model designation badges can be removed at the request of the customer.
2015 and beyond
Rationalisation of the model nomenclature was announced in November 2014 for future models. The changes consolidate many confusing nomenclature and their placements in the model range.
The new nomenclature was originally divided into four segments: core models; off-road vehicles and SUVs; 4-door coupés, and roadsters. Other segments were unaffected, and the Mercedes-EQ line was introduced in 2016.
Under this new nomenclature, the GLK-Class became the GLC, the M-Class became the GLE, and the GL-Class became the GLS. The CL-Class became the S-Class Coupé, which has since been discontinued. Another model, the X-Class (based on the Nissan Navara pickup truck) was produced from 2017 to 2020.
The numerical trim designation was kept from the previous nomenclature. However, many numerical designations no longer reflect the engine's actual displacement, but more of the relative performance and marketing position. For example, the GLC 300 actually has a 2.0-litre engine. Recent AMG models use the "63" designation (in honour of the 1960s 6.3-litre M100 engine) despite being equipped with either a 6.2-litre (M156), a 5.5-litre (M157) or even a 4.0-litre engine.
In addition to the revised nomenclature, Mercedes-Benz has new suffix nomenclature for the drive systems:
The revised A45 AMG for the 2016 model year on has shifted the model designation to the right side while AMG is on the left side. This trend commenced with Mercedes-Maybach with MAYBACH on the left and S500/S600 on the right.
Environmental record
Mercedes-Benz has developed multi-concept cars with alternative propulsion, such as hybrid-electric, fully electric, and fuel-cell powertrains. At the 2007 Frankfurt motor show, Mercedes-Benz showed seven hybrid models, including the F700 concept car, powered by a hybrid-electric drivetrain featuring the DiesOtto engine. In 2009, Mercedes-Benz displayed three BlueZERO concepts at the North American International Auto Show. Each car features a different powertrain – battery-electric, fuel-cell electric, and petrol-electric hybrid. In the same year, Mercedes also showed the Vision S500 PHEV concept with a 19 miles (31 km) all-electric range and CO2 emissions of 74 grams/km in the New European Driving Cycle.
Since 2002, Mercedes-Benz has developed the F-Cell fuel cell vehicle. The current version, based on the B-Class, has a 250-mile range and is available for lease, with volume production scheduled to begin in 2014. Mercedes has also announced the SLS AMG E-Cell, a fully electric version of the SLS sports car, with deliveries expected in 2013. The Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHYBRID was launched in 2009, and is the first production automotive hybrid in the world to use a lithium-ion battery. In mid-2010, production commenced on the Vito E-Cell all-electric van.
In 2008, Mercedes-Benz announced that it would have a demonstration fleet of small electric cars in two to three years. Mercedes-Benz and Smart are preparing for the widespread uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK by beginning the installation of recharging points across its dealer networks. So far 20 Elektrobay recharging units, produced in the UK by Brighton-based Elektromotive, have been installed at seven locations as part of a pilot project, and further expansion of the initiative is planned later in 2010.
In the United States, Mercedes-Benz was assessed a record US$30.66 million fine for its decision to not meet the federal corporate average fuel economy standard in 2009. Certain Mercedes-Benz cars, including the S550 and all AMG models sold in the United States, also face an additional gas guzzler tax. However, newer AMG models fitted with the M157 engine will not be subject to the gas-guzzler tax, due to improved fuel economy, and newer models powered by the M276 and M278 engines will have better fuel economy. In 2008, Mercedes also had the worst CO2 average of all major European manufacturers, ranking 14th out of 14 manufacturers. Mercedes was also the worst manufacturer in 2007 and 2006 in terms of average CO2 levels, with 181 g and 188 g of CO2 emitted per km, respectively.
Mercedes-Benz paid an additional US$38 million for failing to meet its CAFE standards for model years 2008–2011.
In May 2017, Mercedes partnered with Vivint Solar to develop a solar-energy home storage battery.
In February 2018, it was announced that Mercedes cabin air filters earned the Asthma and Allergy Friendly Certification.
Electric cars
Mercedes opened its sixth battery factory in 2018. Critics deemed the marque's EQS sedan a tough competitor to Tesla, Inc. The six factories are established across three continents.
The brand has also launched its electric EQ brand with the EQC SUV which was set for production in the year 2019. In September 2018, Mercedes unveiled the EQC, its first fully electric car, at an event in Stockholm.
Mercedes unveiled the VISION AVTR at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The car was inspired by the 2009 science fiction film Avatar. Whilst the AVTR is a concept car, it is said to "hold clues on features bound for next-generation Mercedes-Benz cars".
2022 will be the year in which Daimler has said that the company will have invested $11 billion to ensure that every Mercedes-Benz has a fully electric or hybrid version available on the market.
While releasing details of the project, Markus Schäfer said—
Our electric vehicles will be built in six plants on three continents. We address every market segment: from the smart fortwo seater to the large SUV. The battery is the key component of e-mobility. As batteries are the heart of our electric vehicles we put a great emphasis on building them in our own factories. With our global battery network, we are in an excellent position: As we are close to our vehicle plants we can ensure the optimal supply of production. In case of a short-term high demand in another part of the world our battery factories are also well prepared for export. The electric initiative of Mercedes-Benz Cars is right on track. Our global production network is ready for e-mobility. We are electrifying the future.
After Audi declared that it would cut more than 9,000 jobs by 2025, the owner of Mercedes-Benz announced that the company will shed around 10,000 jobs worldwide to focus on electric cars.
In January 2021, Mercedes-Benz revealed its new electric SUV, the EQA, which will have a range of 426 kilometres and be on sale in Europe starting 4 February.
