Mercedes A Class production outsourced

Mercedes is outsourcing some new A Class production as orders continue to flood in for Mercedes’ new compact car.

Last week we had the news that Mercedes will be building new A Class compact SUV – the Mercedes GLA – at the Mercedes plant in Rastatt as production of the A Class kicked off.

But despite the new A Class being built at both Rastatt and the Mercedes plant in Kecskemet, Hungary, Mercedes don’t have enough capacity for the volume of order flooding in for the new A Class – over 40,000 since it went on sale just over a month ago.

So rather than create a big waiting list for the A Class – and frustrate customers in the process – Mercedes has decided to be pragmatic and are outsourcing a chunk of production to Valmet in Finland who will produce 100,000 A Class between 2013 and 2016.

Valmet Automotive are a well know specialist builder who are currently bolting together the Fisker Karma and have, in the past, built the Porsche Boxster and Porsche Cayman when Porsche had insufficient capacity to meet demand.

This sensible move by Mercedes means the rise and rise of the new A Class can continue, with at least five A Class based models on the horizon including the GLA SUV, the CLA and the CLA Shooting Brake.

The new Mercedes A Class is turning in to a proper success story already.