International – Last year, Mercedes-Benz announced that in the coming years it planned to refocus its efforts on the higher end of the luxury car market.
Part of this plan involved reducing its family of compact models from seven to four, but now it appears that most of the German carmaker’s coupe models are also on the chopping block.
Having spoken to numerous high-ranking officials at Mercedes, Car and Driver reports that the brand’s current mix of 33 body styles is looking set to be cut to just 14.
The company has already dropped its S-Class two-door models, and it’s also been widely reported that a new CLE range will replace both the C-Class and E-Class coupe and convertible models.
However, the unconventional “four-door coupe” models are also in the firing line, according to the latest Car and Driver report. Apparently both the CLS and AMG GT 4-Door models are looking set to be axed by the middle of this decade.
Further down the line we’ll also see the GLE and GLC Coupe variants falling away, although these will reportedly survive one more generational change, the US publication reports.
Furthermore, the brand’s estate and shooting brake products are also apparently on the way out, although this won’t affect South Africa as those products are no longer offered here.
"At the end of the day, we simply don't need estate cars or underperforming two-door offerings to boost volumes," a senior executive at Mercedes told Car and Driver.
"The most essential elements of sustainable contemporary luxury cars are space and time… That's our number one priority – not another fancy body style, a model that only works in Europe, or one last stab at a dying segment.“
As previously reported, Mercedes-Benz is dividing its future product line-up into three categories: Entry Luxury, Core Luxury and Top-End Luxury. The latter will see some expansion in the coming years, with product plans including a Maybach version of the Mercedes SL sports car as well as the Mercedes EQS SUV.
On that note, the company will also launch a slew of electric products, based on the EVA2 platform.
Battery-powered AMG models are in the mix too, underpinned by a new dedicated platform called AMG.EA, in which all drivetrain components will be developed entirely from scratch. This includes an innovative Axial Flux Motor that’s said to offer substantially more power than conventional electric motors.
You can also expect to see more special collectable models, such as the Limited Edition Maybach by Virgil Abloh, and the future line-up will be known as the Mythos Series.