UPDATED! : FIRST MERCEDES-BENZ CLA ROLLS OFF THE PRODUCTION LINE

Mercedes-Benz CLA Class

• Kecskemét plant expands production portfolio 
• CLA is first model exclusively produced at this location 
• Start of production just a few days after the official World Premiere at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin
• Dr. Dieter Zetsche: "The CLA is based on the Concept Style Coupe, which we introduced last year. The most frequent comment by far was 'Please put this car into series production.' That's precisely what we are doing now." 

KECSKEMÉT, Hungary – Less than ten months after the opening of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemét, the location has reached the next milestone. With the official start of production of the Mercedes-Benz CLA, the first model exclusively built in Kecskemét is now rolling off the production line as the plant's second product along with the B-Class. On this occasion, plant manager Frank Klein took special pleasure in welcoming Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán and Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Daimler Board of Management and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, who both had also attended the plant's grand opening in March 2012.

In his speech, Dr. Dieter Zetsche explained the background of the product decision: "The CLA is based on the Concept Style Coupe, which we introduced last year. The most frequent comment by far was 'Please put this car into series production.' That's precisely what we are doing now." With respect to the excellent performance of the Kecskemét plant's team, Zetsche said: "More than 40.000 B-Class vehicles built here prove that you know how to build great cars. You are doing a first-class job here at the plant." Zetsche also expressed the company's special thanks to all Hungarian partners in the political, administrative and social areas for the continuous, constructive partnership: "We're on a good way to reach our common goal – Kecskemét is developing as a center of the Hungarian automotive industry."

Plant manager Frank Klein added: "The plant's entire team can't wait to get the CLA to our customers as perfectly as the B-Class cars we build in Kecskemét. We aim to follow up seamlessly on what we achieved in our first, very successful production year of 2012." Last year, the Kecskemét plant had reached the first goal to produce more than 40.000 vehicles as planned, thus making an important contribution to the B-Class' best-ever annual sales (worldwide sales of 145,649 units, more than 11 percent over the previous sales record in 2006).

[Source : DAIMLER]