Benz Sticking with Current Models

2007 Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive Concept

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Don’t expect to see another onslaught of new models from Mercedes-Benz, cautioned the new chief of U.S. operations, Ernst Lieb. “There seem to be opportunities everywhere,” suggested Lieb, during an interview with TheCarConnection.com, but for the moment, there are “no plans” to expand a lineup that has expanded almost exponentially over the last two decades. “We’re going to make the product lineup we have work.”

The addition of the original C-Class kicked off a proliferation of alternatives at Mercedes that reflected the growing fragmentation of both the general automotive market, and the luxury niche, in particular. There was “much debate” about adding the old Benz 190, but it is now one of the German automaker’s mainstays. Since its launch, Mercedes has added crossovers, light trucks, convertibles, roadsters, “cross tourers,” and other new products.

Lieb’s pronouncement is anything but written in stone. One of the more popular concepts unveiled at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show was Mercedes’ Ocean Drive, a top-line, four-door convertible based on the latest-generation S-Class sedan.

Expect to see more Mercedes models adopt optional diesel powertrains, Lieb told TheCarConnection. The automaker sold 6900 diesel-powered vehicles last year. “That’s not huge,” especially when considering diesels accounted for roughly three of every four Mercedes sold in the U.S. in the mid-1980s, but the new chief of MBUSA expects that with the launch of the automaker’s new super-clean Bluetec diesel technology, demand will grow significantly in the States.

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