The brand wants to slim down its range.
Mercedes is changing a lot of things that were formerly considered staples of the brand’s identity. For starters, the recently-revealed C-Class will not be offered with any six-cylinder engines. EVs are now where the German automaker’s focus lies, and with exciting new offerings like the EQC proving that EVs can avoid being intimidating, there’s no reason for the brand to put so much of its resources into traditional offerings. This includes drop-tops/cabriolets/convertibles and coupes, and although there’s a new SL cabrio on the way, Mercedes won’t be proliferating its range with the two-door body style as much as before.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Speaking with Autocar, Mercedes’ Chief Operating Officer Markus Schafer said: “We reached a portfolio of close to 50 vehicles last year, and there’s more to come on the electric side with our EQ line-up… Some of [our models] got quite narrow [in terms of market] so we want to really focus on a portfolio that’s more precise and consumer-oriented. So we’re doing some significant shifts in our line-up, portfolio and shape of vehicles.”
He went on to explain that the brand has a very high density of coupes and cabriolets with the C-Class, E-Class, and SLC at the moment, but with the market eschewing these offerings more and more frequently, continually offering cars that people aren’t buying makes no sense.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
But this does not spell the end of the cabrio with the three-pointed star. “We will not give up the segment because it’s very important to use as a brand-shaper, but maybe in a more limited offering.” Essentially, what this means is that the luxury automaker will continue to offer these body styles, but with more emphasis on luxury and tech in the future.
Cabrios and coupes will be more exclusive and will appeal to a specific section of the market, in contrast to the saturated offering currently available. Maybe cars like the AMG GT-R Roadster will live on, but these will feel more special in the future, and that can only be a good thing.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
