Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class Coupe to be discontinued

The writings on the wall for Mercedes-Benz’s slow-selling models, as the company aims to axe at least seven models from their ever-growing line-up.

According to Autonews, Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Nicholas Speeks told dealers during a web conference back in June that they will be removing seven models from the US market, though the exact models were not mentioned.

The models that could be discontinued in the near future include coupe and convertible variants of the C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, as well as the CLS Coupe.

To simplify the line-up, Mercedes-Benz will introduce the CLE - available as a coupe, convertible, or estate. 

Over the years, Mercedes-Benz’s offerings in the US grew exponentially, which is bad news as the company is looking to reducing complexity and cost for itself and dealers. With engine variants and various body styles, Mercedes-Benz offers more than 100 variants, making it tough for consumers to differentiate between models.

"Do we need all the products that we currently have?" Speeks told Autonews back in May. "We also have to play our part in cutting our costs to meet our means."

In fact, Mercedes-Benz is also looking to discontinue some of its low-volume sports sedans. Some predicted that the AMG GT 4 Door could be on the chopping board once the model’s lifecycle ends in 2023, as it competes with the CLS and S-Class for the same buyers, thus reducing profit on all three models.