Mercedes-Benz sells SUVs in a wide range of sizes in the United States, and much of that story runs through Alabama. The lineup spans a boxy off-road icon, compact crossovers, a three-row luxury model and an electric option. Here are ten Mercedes-Benz SUVs that trace the path from the first M-Class to an electric model.
Stay ahead on AI: Join 600,000+ professionals who read The Deep View, the daily newsletter that keeps you up to date with artificial intelligence.
We may earn a commission if you sign up.
1. Mercedes-Benz M-Class: Born In Alabama
The first M-Class rolled off the Alabama assembly line on February 14, 1997, according to a Mercedes-Benz USA release, and the SUV reached U.S. dealers in September 1997. That timeline made it the model that put Mercedes-Benz SUV production on American soil.
Building the vehicle in Alabama tied the brand to the U.S. market in a way few imported luxury models matched at the time. The plant that began with this SUV would go on to anchor much of the lineup that followed, including several entries later on this list.
2. Mercedes-Benz G-Class: The Boxy Icon
Official U.S. sales of the G-Class began in 2002 with the G 500 and the G 55 AMG, according to the G-Class model history. Production has since passed major milestones, with the 400,000th unit built in December 2020 and the 500,000th in April 2023.
Those figures show how long the boxy design has stayed in demand worldwide. American buyers came to the model later than much of the world did, but the 2002 launch placed it firmly among the brand’s U.S. SUV offerings.
3. Mercedes-Benz GL-Class: The Three-Row Pioneer
The three-row GL debuted at the 2006 Detroit show as a seven-passenger vehicle, and the GL-Class reference entry notes that most of them were built in Alabama. The nameplate was renamed GLS in 2016.
The model gave Mercedes-Benz a full-size, three-row family hauler to sit above the smaller M-Class. Its name change in 2016 aligned it with the brand’s wider naming scheme for SUVs, and the GLS badge has remained on the vehicle ever since. Anyone shopping used should look under both names.
4. Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class: The Compact Newcomer
Built from 2008 to 2015, the GLK sold 21,944 units in the U.S. in 2009 and 35,000 in 2014, based on the GLK-Class reference entry. It was never offered in right-hand drive, and so it was not sold in markets such as the United Kingdom and Australia.
That made the GLK a left-hand-drive model by design, aimed at markets like the United States. American sales climbed over its run, from under 22,000 in 2009 to about 35,000 by 2014, which shows steady demand for a smaller Mercedes SUV.
5. Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class: The Entry Point
The entry-level GLA went on sale in the summer of 2014, and the GLA-Class reference entry explains that it shares its platform with the A-Class and B-Class. That placed it below the other SUVs in the brand’s U.S. lineup at launch.
Sharing hardware with smaller cars helped Mercedes-Benz offer a lower entry point into its SUV range. For many shoppers, the GLA served as the first step into the brand’s crossover family, and it remains a compact alternative to larger models like the GLC and GLE.
6. Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class: The Seven-Seat Compact
Unveiled on June 10, 2019 in Park City, Utah, the GLB stands out because, as the GLB-Class reference entry notes, it offers third-row seating as an option. Unlike the GLA and GLC, that choice is available on this compact Mercedes.
The extra row gives small families a way to carry more passengers without moving up to a full-size SUV. The Utah reveal also set the debut in an American location rather than in Europe, which fits a model aimed at buyers who value space and flexibility.
7. Mercedes-Benz GLC: The Volume Leader
Mercedes sold nearly 72,000 GLCs in the U.S. last year, according to an Autoblog report. Even so, U.S. production is now reported for the second quarter of 2030, and a 15% tariff applies to imports.
The numbers make the GLC a volume leader, yet it is not built domestically at present. Until production moves to the United States, the tariff remains a cost factor for a model that sells in such large numbers, and any move would take several years to arrive.
8. Mercedes-Benz GLE: Five Million And Counting
The refreshed GLE premiered at the Alabama plant on March 31, 2026, as the Mercedes-Benz Group milestone page marked five million SUVs having rolled off the line there. That figure covers the plant’s SUV output rather than any single model.
The milestone shows how much of the brand’s American output now centers on SUVs. A premiere at the factory itself, rather than at an auto show, underlined the plant’s role in the GLE story and in the lineup that grew up around the M-Class.
9. Mercedes-Maybach GLS: The Priciest Build
Hagerty reported in March 2019 that the Maybach GLS would be built in Alabama at a price of about $200,000, and the Hagerty Maybach report said it would probably be the most expensive vehicle built in the U.S. The SUV was to be built alongside the standard full-size GLS.
That price figure comes from a pre-launch report, so it should be read as an early estimate rather than a final sticker. The report still shows the plant was expected to handle a far more upscale model than its earlier SUVs.
10. Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV: The Electric Finale
The EQS 450+ SUV is rated at 305 miles by the EPA and makes 355 hp, based on the EQS SUV reference entry. The electric model is built in Tuscaloosa and offers optional third-row seating.
That puts the EQS SUV at the electric end of a lineup that began with a gasoline M-Class built in the same Alabama region. The optional third row also links it to the GLS and GLB, which share that feature, and gives families an electric option with more seats.
Stay ahead on AI: Subscribe to The Deep View →
We may earn a commission if you sign up.
More from Morning Overview
- Long use of a common prostate pill is tied to a higher chance of glaucoma
- Ford is recalling 223,472 F-150 pickups because the fuel tank can leak or detach
- Hybrids have 15% fewer problems than gas cars, while EVs and plug-in hybrids have about 80% more, Consumer Reports finds
- Regulators cleared the first U.S. small modular reactor, 4 months early
