Mercedes-AMG Lineup Expansion | Details, News, Rumors

Mercedes-AMG is betting on more models and standalone showrooms to sell more cars

By Ronan Glon March 30, 2016

2015 Mercedes Benz CLA Class Shooting Brake — Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Over the past few years, AMG has gone from an acronym that denotes more powerful, track-ready variants of Mercedes-Benz models to a full-fledged sub-brand called Mercedes-AMG. The company is about to enter the next stage of its expansion, which calls for the launch of even more nameplates and, in select markets, the creation of standalone showrooms.

The Mercedes-AMG lineup will include no fewer than 48 different models by the end of the year, up from 38 right now. One of the most hotly anticipated AMG-badged cars that will debut in the next few months is the next-generation E63, which is believed to use a downsized, twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 engine tuned to send between 550 and 580 horsepower to all four wheels via an automatic transmission.

The GLC lineup will be expanded with a 63-badged model powered by the same twin-turbocharged V8 as the aforementioned E63, and the recently-unveiled GLC Coupe will receive the same powertrain a few months later. A more hardcore version of the 911-fighting GT that’s tentatively called GT R will greet the public for the first time this summer during the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, too.

Mercedes-AMG will widen the gap that separates the members of its lineup from their Mercedes-Benz-badged counterparts by giving dealers the option of selling cars through standalone showrooms. Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers told Automotive News that the company is getting ready to open up its first standalone store in Japan, and it’s looking into inaugurating at least one more in Australia. Dealers won’t be forced to open a separate showroom for AMG, but they’ll be encouraged to set aside a dedicated AMG area within the main Mercedes-Benz showroom.

Mercedes-AMG’s sudden expansion has already paid dividends. In 2013, Natanael Sijanta, the company’s head of global sales at the time, told WardsAuto that he believed AMG could sell 30,000 cars annually by 2017. AMG shattered Sijanta’s expectations by selling a record-breaking 68,875 cars last year, and it’s on track to set another sales record this year.

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