Following rumors, Mercedes-Benz this week officially announced it will shift a portion of the production of its C-Class range to its Tuscaloosa, Alabama assembly plant in 2014. The facility will build cars for the North American market, while global production will remain in Germany.
The timing coincides with the launch of the next-generation C-Class. Production will represent 20 percent of overall C-Class volume, the automaker said. As well as the additional model series, the plant will continue to produce the R-Class, the M-Class and the GL-Class.
“Due to the projected demographic developments in the United States, the automobile market in that country will further strengthen its already important role, opening up additional growth opportunities,” Mercedes said in a statement. “To make optimal and competitive use of those opportunities, it is essential to have production facilities of the high-volume C-Class close to the market.”
The C-Class sedan is currently the best-selling Mercedes-Benz in North America.
