I dont get all this hype about the name..
Its always been called the M class..
True!
MERCEDES-BENZ ALL-ACTIVITY VEHICLE NAMED M-CLASS
GENEVA, March 4, 1996 /PRNewswire/ -- The much-publicized Mercedes-Benz All-Activity Vehicle will be badged M-Class when it goes on sale in 1997, it was announced tonight by Juergen Hubbert. The announcement came during the European debut of the All-Activity Vehicle design concept at the Geneva Motor Show.
The M-Class designation -- which positions the all-new vehicle alongside the company's C-, E-, S- and SL-Class vehicles -- communicates to consumers that they can expect to find the same core values in the All-Activity Vehicle they have come to expect from Mercedes-Benz. As with other vehicles in the Mercedes model line, the M-Class designation will carry an engine descriptor as well.
The M-Class will be an evolution of the sport utility vehicle (SUV) as we know it today. It will combine the ruggedness and off-road capabilities of an SUV, with the safety, comfort, quality and on-road performance of a Mercedes-Benz passenger car.
It will set new standards in safety, four-wheel-drive technology, fuel economy, and value in the sport utility segment, and appeal to consumers with diverse and active lifestyles.
While most vehicles in the sport utility segment are derived from truck platforms (and a number are rebadged versions of less expensive SUVs), the Mercedes-Benz M-Class will be a new-from-the-ground-up, "purpose-built" design. The aggressive, yet refined concept vehicle displayed in Geneva shows the styling direction that will guide the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, and reflects the direction that the SUV market is moving.
The M-Class will be produced at a dedicated new plant near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Some 65,000 vehicles will be built annually, with approximately half for sale in the U.S., and the remainder exported throughout the world.
Starting price for the Mercedes-Benz M-Class will be in the mid- $30,000 range when it goes on sale in the U.S. in the fall of 1997 as a 1998 model. Launch in Europe and in other markets throughout the world is planned for 1998.
CONTACT: Debra Nelson of MBUSI, Mercedes-Benz United States International (Alabama M-class Plant) MBUSI Mercedes Benz Us International, 205-507-3507 or Fred Heiler of MBNA
COPYRIGHT 1996 PR Newswire Association LLC
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
