MERCEDES HAS confirmed its new GL mid-sized SUV will go on sale in Ireland. In one of the oddest decisions in recent automotive history, the German brand decided to only build the prevous generation of the GL in left-hand-drive, thereby ruling out several major markets. This anomaly has been rectified with the second generation model, launched last week.
The GL will arrive in Ireland this October. Two engines will be offered at launch: the GL350 BlueTEC with a V6 diesel engine and the GL 500 BlueEFFICIENCY V8 petrol version. Meanwhile, the firm is aiming to chop its chassis architectures down from five to just two by 2015.
“We have increased productivity by two per cent a year over the last few years. We will be accelerating our productivity efforts,” Mercedes-Benz production head, Wolfgang Bernhard, said during a recent investor conference.
Bernhard made his name by cutting time and cost from car production at the Volkswagen Group, and he has planned and instigated a full system overhaul of the Mercedes’ global production system.