True to the rumours, Mercedes-Benz has officially announced a new naming structure for its lineup.
Unlike Infiniti and Cadillac, however, Mercedes’ core model lineup won’t change. The A-, B-, C-, E- and S-Class will keep their names. In fact, only four models will be renamed — the ML, GLK, GL and SLK.
As part of the new plan, SUVs will begin with the ‘GL’ prefix and will have the third letter align with the core models in Mercedes’ lineup. This means the GL will be renamed the GLS, while the ML will become the GLE and the GLK will be known as the GLC. The GLA is already named under this system, so no changes will be necessary. When the inevitable four-door coupe versions are introduced, Mercedes will tack on the ‘Coupe’ moniker.
The SL-Class and G-Wagen will retain their names, but the SLK will be renamed to SLC. The CLA and CLS four-door coupes also retain their names. Most importantly, these changes won’t take effect immediately. The first model to see the change will be the GLE (formerly the ML) when the current model is refreshed.In addition to the individual model names themselves, Mercedes is introducing new designations for its powertrains. They will now be replaced by a lowercase letter — diesel BlueTec and CDI models will get a ‘d’, hybrid models will have an ‘h’ and electric vehicles will utilize an ‘e’. Mercedes’ fuel-cell lineup, which isn’t sold just yet in North America, will have an ‘f’ and natural gas-powered models will see a ‘c’. All-wheel-drive remains unchanged, at 4MATIC.
