Mercedes-Benz C-Class production started at Tuscaloosa plant, USA

Mercedes-Benz has started production of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class at the Tuscaloosa plant in USA. This is the third location for the production of C-Class to begin after Bremen, Germany in February and East London, South Africa in May. The Tuscaloosa plant has been traditionally making only SUV models such as the M-Class, R-Class and the GL-Class and the new C-Class extends the plant’s production program. After Germany, South Africa and USA, for the first time, the C-Class will be produced in four continents with the production to soon begin in Beijing, China.

Markus Schäfer, Divisional Board Member Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain Management: "With the successful start of production at the Tuscaloosa plant, we are expanding our C-Class capacities and are ready for the market launch in the USA and Canada in the fall. For the first time, the C-Class is manufactured also in Tuscaloosa – the team has done an excellent job in mastering this challenge."

The Bremen plant in Germany is the lead plant, controlling the global production of C-Class offering tooling strategy to the training of the colleages from the international plants to production quality. In total, around 500 employees from the international plants - among them more than 100 from Tuscaloosa and 200 from East London have completed intensive training in Germany in order to pass on their knowledge as multipliers in their respective home plants.

Jason Hoff, Head of the Mercedes-Benz Tuscaloosa plant: "Many of our Team Members have spent weeks and months in Germany getting to know the C-Class and the technologies associated with this product. Thanks to our highly qualified and motivated team, we are optimally prepared to write the next chapters of our success story 'made by Mercedes-Benz in Alabama."

The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class has already received rave reviews around the world thanks to the attractive design and new-age technologies. The new C-Class is 100 kg lighter with its intelligent lightweight-design concept and gets new engines that offer new benchmarks in efficiency. Features such as ATTENTION ASSIST, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS, with an adaptive brake assist function comes as standard. DISTRONIC PLUS with steering assist and integral Stop & Go Pilot, brake assist system BAS PLUS and more features come as optional extras.

The range of assistant systems include Active Parking Assist, which enables automatic parking with active steering and brake intervention for parallel or perpendicular parking spaces, as well as a 360 degree camera. But how many of these will make it to the Indian version will be known upon the car’s launch. The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class is expected to be launched in late 2014 or early 2015.

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