Mercedes looking to cut back products offered in US: Report

With sales in the slow lane for Mercedes in the US due to factors arising from Covid-19 pandemic, the Germany auto giant is reportedly planning to cut back on a number of products on offer here with the C-Class being the most notable of the models being put to rest.

A number of US media reports have been highlighting how Mercedes is on the verge of reducing its product offerings in the country with a recent report in Automotive News being the most specific. It mentions that Mercedes is downsizing models offered and that the coupe and convertibles under C-Class, S-Class and E-Class will face the axe. It also reported that the CLS Coupe and GT models could be taken off shelves.

Other reports have previously underlined that Mercedes is doing away with the entire C-Class lineup in the US.

While Mercedes has not put anything on record yet, the company - like many others - is wading through choppy waters in the US ever since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. Even though the company outpaced German rivals BMW, selling almost 18,000 more vehicles in the first half of 2020 in the US, the 14% plunge in sales has taken a toll.

Mercedes has benefited to some extent from the launch of new models like the face lifted GLE and GLC but Bloomberg reports that primary markets for luxury cars like New York, New Jersey and California remain under Covid clouds which bodes bad for premium car makers. Additionally, having an exhaustive product list in current times may be like dragging an injured leg through the battlefield.

Times are changing and Mercedes is also looking at making an entry and playing it big in the electric vehicle space. The EQS sedan could well be a game changer in this regard and Mercedes claims it will have the longest range per charge than any other vehicle currently on roads.