Brazil – The new plant in the state of São Paulo has introduced its second model, five months after launch. The GLA compact SUV is being assembled on the same line as the C-Class sedan.
“With the launch of the GLA in Iracemápolis we are setting new standards in terms of flexibility and efficiency; for the first time, vehicles with front- and rear-wheel drive are rolling off the same assembly line in one of our plants,” commented Markus Schäfer, member of the divisional board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management. “This makes Iracemápolis a benchmark within the global production network of Mercedes-Benz Cars.” He added that the local production in Brazil is “strengthening our global competitiveness”.
Ahead of the production launch, personnel from Iracemápolis were sent to sister plants in Pune, India, and Kecskemét, Hungary, where they familiarised themselves with the production processes in order to transfer this knowledge to colleagues as ‘multipliers’. This will ensure that the GLA is manufactured according to Mercedes-Benz global standards. “With the support of the production network, we were optimally prepared for the launch of the GLA,” said Christ Wittker, plant manager at Iracemápolis.