Features
30 oct 18

Daimler reveals product line-up 2018-19

In its lengthy January-September 2018 report, Daimler reveals its product pipeline for the next year. First in line is the new GLE, previously known as the M-Class and the arch rival to the BMW X5. According to the timeline, the Paris-revealed B-Class is Mercedes' next model to give its Bavarian nemesis a run for its money - the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, that is.

Also in the pipeline is the V-Class, which will get it's midlife facelift four years into its career. The same goes for the GLC and GLC Coupé. The biggest model in Mercedes' SUV line-up, the GLS, will unite the best of the best to compete with BMW's upcoming X7. By the end of the year, we can expect a new model at the other end of the SUV spectrum - probably the successor to the GLA.

Its four-door coupé and shooting brake brothers, which carry the CLA badge and are likely to slot slightly above the A Class Sedan, are set to arrive a few months earlier. Last but not least, there are the electric models. The EQC will put up a fight with the Jaguar I-Pace by the end of Q2, whereas its baby brothers, the Smart Fortwo and Forfour EQ, will probably get an upgraded battery pack by the end of 2019.

Regarding the Smart brand: some sources say Renault plans to kill its partnership with Daimler when the Twingo and hence the Smart Fortwo and Forfour reach the end of their lifecycle. Mercedes needs to find a new industrial partner by 2026, and given the ties with Geely, a new joint-venture might just emerge.

 

Authored by: Dieter Quartier