Mercedes confirms C-class coupe to launch in 2011

Buyers seeking a blend of sportiness and luxury will get another choice in 2011: Mercedes confirmed this week it's adding a C-class coupe to its portfolio.

The two-door will be built at the Mercedes plant in Bremen, Germany, where the C-class sedan, wagon and GLK are also assembled.

The C-class coupe would fight the BMW 1-series, Cadillac CTS coupe and smaller Audis.

The next-generation C-class range for Europe is expected to be built in Bremen starting in 2014, the company said. It also builds the SLK and SL and employs about 12,600. Mercedes' Alabama plant will make the C-class sedans for North America in 2014.

“The decision by the board of management to produce the coupe version of the current C-class here in Bremen as well represents another important milestone on our way to becoming Mercedes' competence center for the C-Class and is a clear sign of the trust in the Bremen team's capabilities and standards," Peter Schabert, head of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen, said in a statement.

By Greg Migliore