Mercedes-Benz E-Class Long Wheelbase: Made in China, for China

The 10^th generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class is now available in long wheelbase-form in China. This is the third generation of Mercedes’s global best-seller to be tailor-made for the China market.

The vehicles are being manufactured as a joint venture between Daimler AG and BAIC Motor at Beijing Benz Automotive Co. Ltd (BBAC) on the same production line as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class which is also available in stretched form in China.

The LWB all-new E-Class is usually chauffeur-driven and is longer in both wheelbase (3079mm) and overall length (5063mm) by 140mm than the standard E-Class that is available globally. Rear passengers gain an additional 134mm in legroom and easier entry and exit.

The decision to offer extended length limousines in China has proven to be a lucrative move on Mercedes’s part. Their customer base has grown as a result of its introduction with one in three of its stretched E-Class owners switching over from another manufacturer.

Earlier in the week, the partners had announced an investment of more RMB 4 billion (€500 million) to expand the BBAC engine plant which in 2015 produced 250,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles for the China-market which included the LWB E-Class, C-Class, GLA and GLC. The BBAC plant is Mercedes-Benz’s largest car plant in the world by surface area.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is Daimler AG’s most successful nameplate with over 13 million sold since the model was introduced. In 2015, 232,453 units were sold globally.
China is the world’s largest car market and several of the world’s largest automakers including BMW, Volkswagen, Peugeot and Volvo have vehicles specially created for the country.