Mercedes-Benz announces new car coming to Alabama plant
VANCE, Ala. (WIAT) — Mercedes Benz will make a new car at its plant in Tuscaloosa County, although what this new 'core segment' vehicle will be or what it looks like is anyone's guess.
In a statement released Thursday, the car manufacturer announced it would build a new car at its Mercedes-Benz U.S. International plant outside Tuscaloosa. Currently, the plant puts out the GLE and GLS; the EQE and EQS SUVs and the Mercedes-Maybach line of EQS and GLE vehicles.
'Tuscaloosa has been a key hub for Mercedes-Benz vehicles for almost 30 years,' said Ola Källenius, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. 'It's a natural step to bring a further model to Alabama as part of a strategy to deepen our commitment to the United States, a market, which has been our home for more than a century.'
Since opening in 1997, over 4.5 million cars have rolled off the line at MBUSI. Last year, the plant put out nearly 260,000 vehicles.
'We are getting even closer to the U.S. customer by localizing a core segment model in Tuscaloosa, strengthening our ties to the North American market where a range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles including the GLE and GLS models have their roots,' MBUSI CEO Jason Hoff said.
The announcement comes in the wake of the Trump administration's proposed 25% tariffs on imported cars, as well as a 25% tariff on auto parts that is set to go into effect this weekend.
According to a report by CNBC, an estimated 60% of the vehicles produced at Mercedes-Benz's Tuscaloosa County plant are exported.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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