Mercedes Adds Coupe to U.S. C-Class Line in Bid to Top BMW: Cars

Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz, seeking to become the top-selling luxury brand in the U.S., added a two-door compact C-Class to its lineup to attract younger buyers from Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s BMW.

The C-Class coupe, which arrived at dealerships this month, may boost sales of the nameplate by as much as 20 percent going forward, Ernst Lieb, head of U.S. operations for Mercedes, said last week in an interview at his office in Montvale, New Jersey. Starting now may help win orders before BMW, which sells its 3-Series in the U.S. as a sedan, coupe, convertible and wagon, introduces an all-new compact line to the market in April.