Mercedes sport utility |

MERCEDES-BE®™

US. tareenational
(AIBUSE) has
announced it will
increase production of
its highly-acclained M-
Class sport utility vehi-
cle for calendar year
1999 to about 80,000
units to meet the
strong market demand
from throughout the
world,

This represents ao more
than 20". increase over tlre
Ipprosimatels 63.000 units
which wil be produced iit
1998.

The capacity increase wall
represent an adeitianal invest
ment of appre vimach USS+40
million and will bang some
75 new jobs to the USS300
million plant. Still in its start
up stage of production, the
Tuscaloosa County, Alabama,
plant currently employs about
1,300 people and has a capac:
ity of approximately 65,000
vehicles.

“The response to the M-
Class has exceeded our expec:
tations, so much so dat we
have been challenged to keep
up with the tremendous
demand from throughout the
world,” said Andreas
Renschler, president and CEO
of Mercedes: Benz U.S,
International. “Our overrid-
ing goal is to satisiv our cus:
tomers, and what better way
than to increase our invest-
ment and production eapabili-
ties for the MT-Class.”

According to the automak-
er, the production increase
will be achieved through
greater effigeney and produce

TO be priced in the $60,000 range, the high- performance V-8 powered ML430
sport-utility vehicle will join the award-winning ML320 in Mercedes-Benz show-

rooms this fail.

uvity, including sno approxi
mately 10-15% reduction in
the time it takes for a vehicle
fa mave tram ate production
station to the next.

The new investment from
MBUST will include the pur-
chase of additional equipment
and machinery and an inerease
of abour LO0,000 square feet
in the body and assembly
shops to accommodate the
added equipment, inventory
and materials.

Construction on the
expanded shops will beuin
carly this vear,

Production of the 3.2-htre,
Vo M820 bean in carly
1997 and vehivies went on
sale tn North America on
Septentber,

Since ats marker introduc
tien, the M-Chos has won
numerous awards, including

Motor Trrsid J998 Vruck of

the Year, Rebh Report Top
Cars tor 1998S Cunssenivrs

Dagest Nest Buy and the
prestigious Canadian AJAC
Car ot the Year award.

Vhe M Class wall goon
sale in) Europe and in other
worldwide markets chs
Spring.

Friday. “ebruary 27. 1998 - North Shore News — 39

gh demand

Photo submitted

Auto Body
Collision Specialists

ZVETT (\__ hvallable
eeaueey 183 Pemberton Ave. TALKING

985-7195)

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