Mercedes CLS Is About To Be Killed

Last year, Mercedes announced a new strategy aimed at reducing costs and focusing on profitable Top-End Luxury and Core Luxury vehicles. Entry Luxury vehicles would still continue to exist, but the company pledged to cut the lineup nearly in half.
 

While the automaker didn’t go into specifics, Car & Driver is now filling in the pieces. The publication talked to several “top managers” and reports “of the 33 body styles Mercedes currently offers between Europe and the U.S., only 14 will survive.”
 
That sounds like a bloodbath, and it appears coupes and wagons will be among the hardest hit. This isn’t too surprising as Mercedes has already been moving in that direction as the S-Class Coupe and Convertible have gone the way of the dodo. Furthermore, the CLE is set to replace both the C- and E-Class Coupes and Convertibles.
 
However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg as the publication says the CLS will be dropped in 2024. The AMG GT 4 Door is set to follow suit shortly thereafter, which would mean the model only lasted one generation.
 
Even crossover coupes won’t be spared from the culling. While the next-generation GLC and GLE will reportedly offer crossover coupe variants, they’re set to disappear in the future. The exact timing remains unclear, but it sounds like they’ll be phased out when the next-generation models reach the end of the road.
 
Wagons and Shooting Brakes are also set for a grim future as the C-Class Estate will reportedly be “gone after 2028.” Spy photographers have already snapped the upcoming E-Class Estate, but it will reportedly be phased out for good in 2030. While the next-generation CLA is set to debut in 2025 and offer a Shooting Brake variant, it will reportedly be the company’s last swoopy wagon.
 
That’s quite the death toll, but one senior official told the publication “At the end of the day, we simply don’t need estate cars or underperforming two-door offerings to boost volumes.” They went on to say “space and time” are the most important elements of contemporary luxury, so “fancy” body styles and models that only work in Europe don’t make sense.
 
The news is sure to disappoint fans, but the publication says there are a handful of interesting models on the horizon including a new four-door coupe that will arrive in 2026. Maybach has also teased an ultra-luxury version of the latest SL.
 
The publication also says there will be a rugged GLG SUV in 2026 and possibly even a Maybach V-Class. More interestingly, the recently announced Mythos brand could offer a G-Class based pickup and a modern-day Gullwing.
 
Many future models will be electric and Car & Driver says they’ll take a big leap forward thanks to beefier batteries with a capacity of up to 150 kWh. They could deliver up to 500 miles (805 km) of range in the WLTP cycle as well as faster recharging times thanks to a 270 kW DC fast charging capability.