Mercedes Increases Production To Meet US CLA Demand
[AUTHOR’S NOTE: I erroneously reported production would be increased at MBUSI in Vance, Ala. alongside the Hungary facility. That’s what I get for reading the dateline and interpreting things as such. My apologies. — CA]
With demand still strong and supply still tight months later, Mercedes-Benz is pumping up production capacity to bring more CLAs to showrooms in the United States.
Automotive News reports 14,113 copies of the $30,825 entry-level premium sedan were sold in the United States during the last four months of 2013, with the most sold overall in October at 4,895 units. Additionally, 15,676 CLAs left the showroom floor from January through August of this year.
Thus, the facility in Kecskement, Hungary that produces the CLA added a third shift in May to help meet demand the world over, having made a total of 109,266 in 2013 alone. The plant will also host production of a CLA shooting brake, a vehicle Mercedes has “no current plans” to bring over to the U.S., according to a representative.
As for how many CLAs will be leaving Vance, Daimler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche didn’t specify, though he did expect “a positive reaction” to the boost in production.
Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.
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Mercedes Lite. Cars like this will eventually tarnish the Mercedes brand image.
You know why I love the CLA? Because it gave the C class room to breathe. Now we're getting a baby E-class with an S-class interior for well under $50K. First interesting car to my eyeballs that I could put in the driveway Mercedes has come out with in close to two decades.
If I can remember it correctly, Cadillac practically owned the U.S. luxury car market in the 70's, accounting for approx. fifty percent. That has shrunk to less than nine percent this year. Now the Germans own fifty percent of the U.S. luxury car market. As one commentator wrote: the more Cadillac waits, the less (financial) room there is to maneuver... and to compete.
It's a fake Mercedes : it's FWD and it's got no style(just shmancy fancy colours and messy 'cheap-pumped.up-hyped' design..) .. MB is making money on ignorant, nouveau-riche hipsters .. and because this car is quite $uccesfull($ellout) .. the others will follow .. (As somebody's writen here: GM should dress Chevy Cruze into 'Caddy's clothes .. and today .. nobody will notice(maybe except some 'underground car magasines':) , because the mainstream ones[that need adds to survive] will follow corporate-PR bull$..t )..