Mercedes Switches Up Its Naming Strategy

Mercedes-Benz caused a stir mid-November when it announced it was changing the way it names its SUVs. The new nomenclature won't change the features of the cars or your auto insurance rates, but it may make it easier to know what everyone's talking about when it comes to the luxury brand's vehicles.

Mercedes decided to create a way of providing their SUVs with common sense titles that easily denote the type of model and engine, such as hybrid, electric and diesel, according to the Los Angeles Times - possibly because it was concerned its naming structure was convoluted and confusing.

According to Mercedes' statement, the reason behind the new system was because of the high number of models currently for sale and the numerous new models that will be deployed by 2020 - many of which don't have a precursor. Also, the number of variations in body and engine types made the task of accurately naming the SUVS a complex task.

For the new naming method, the acronym for the SUV will be one to three upper-case letters denoting the model. There are five core models: A, B, C, E and S, and all SUVs part of the G-Class will begin with GL. The "L" in the series of letters is a throwback to a Mercedes tradition and the third letter links the model to its class. For example, the GLC, formerly known as the GLK, stands for the GL C-Class SUV.

Additionally, the engine type will be a lower-case letter, such as "c" for compressed natural gas, "d" for diesel, "e" for electric, "f" for fuel cell and "h" for hybrid.

"More clarity, more transparency, more consistency for Mercedes-Benz customers - we are convinced that our new nomenclature will support us in achieving this objective," said Jens Thiemers, head of marketing communications for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. "The logic built up on the basis of the core model series will enable our customers to find their way round our growing product portfolio far better."