2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class side view

What do the letters in Mercedes-Benz vehicle titles mean?

Are the Mercedes-Benz trim level names random? 

What do the letters in Mercedes-Benz vehicle titles mean? Are the Mercedes-Benz trim level names random? These are the questions that we’ll try to answer below. You can find Mercedes-Benz vehicles here at Mercedes-Benz of Arrowhead in Peoria, AZ. 


Do the letters in a Mercedes-Benz model name have meaning? 

Let’s look at this question first: Do the letters in a Mercedes-Benz model name have meaning? The answer is sort of. Yes, they have meaning in the sense that the model names are organized, and different letters represent different models, but no, most of them don’t seem to have meaning in the sense that the different letters stand for something, like an acronym. So, the answer depends on how you define meaning.  

Do the letters in a Mercedes-Benz model name correspond to their size? 

The answer to this question is also mixed. Yes, the letters do correspond to vehicle size in some cases. In sedan models, the A-Class is smaller than the C-Class which is smaller than the S-Class. In this way, we can see that alphabetically, sedans are ordered from smallest to largest. However, we also know that SUVs are larger than sedans, and Mercedes-Benz SUVs start with GL. 

2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class front view

Mercedes-Benz model names explained 

Here, we have a list of what we do know about Mercedes-Benz model prefixes. If a model starts with the letter in the first column, then we can assume it fits in with the description of the second column. Hopefully, this guide will help you explore our inventory. 

Model prefix 

Model description 

A-Class 

A subcompact luxury hatchback or sedan model 

B-Class 

Also a subcompact, this being a multipurpose vehicle 

C-Class 

Compact luxury sedan, coupe, and cabriolet 

E-Class 

Mid-size luxury sedan, coupe, and cabriolet 

G-Class 

A luxury off-road vehicle 

S-Class 

Full-size luxury sedan, coupe, and cabriolet 

GL  

SUV models, including GLA, GLB, GLC, GLE, and GLS 

CL 

Coupe-style vehicles with four doors such as the CLA and CLS 

SL 

Roadster vehicles including the SLC and the SL 

EQ 

Electric vehicles and concept vehicles  

What does AMG mean in a Mercedes-Benz title? 

AMG stands for Aufecht, Melcher, and GroBaspach. The words themselves refer to founder names and the city with Aufecht was born. While that is the literal translation of AMG, the meaning of AMG in a Mercedes-Benz title is different. It means that the vehicle is a performance vehicle.