Mercedes Changing Naming Scheme to Make It Even More Confusing

Mercedes-Benz is planning on changing its naming system to make its cars easier to identify. However, it looks like this system needs some thought because Mercedes has made the naming scheme even more confusing. 

The current system gives each car a one, two or three letter designation followed by a number that originally designated the engine, but by now the number do not really match up with the powerplant. However, it does not look like Mercedes is fixing that. 

Mercedes is saying that in the future all of its SUVS will carry a G designation; C will be used for coupes and convertibles; SL for sports cars. However, from there things get very confusing. For instance, the Sports Coupe Concept that we saw yesterday will be badged the CLA. The 'A' denoting that it is based on the A-Class. Mercedes' future compact SUV will be the GLA for the same reason; it is an SUV, hence the GL, on the A-Class architecture. 

In the future, Mercedes' main cars will keep their names. There will still be the A-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, etc. However, derivatives of those cars will get the two letter designation. An E-Class coupe would be the CLE, for example. 

It gets very complicated though when you look at Mercedes current lineup. Mercedes already has a car called the CLS, but given the new naming scheme that would be a coupe version of the S-Class. However, a coupe version of the S-Class already exists, and it is called the CL-Class. If they keep this new system, something has to give. 

In another confusing example, the next A-Class will be available as a three-door, a five-door and later the coupe/sedan. The five-door would be the A-Class. The three-door should be the CLA, but Mercedes has already said it will use that name for the coupe/sedan meaning the three-door A-Class will need a new name. 

Also Mercedes has a whole alphabet of SUVs currently: the M, R,G, GL and GLK. It appears that with this new scheme all Mercedes SUVs will use some version of G, plus a letter or two, which means rebranding at least two cars, maybe three. 

So it looks like you may need to be a genius just to understand the Mercedes line-up in the future without looking at pictures, but it is that way now, so it is really not that big of a change. 

Source: Automobile