Mercedes-Benz Thailand Now Locally-Assembles AMG 53-Series Model, Starts With CLS 53

Late last week, Mercedes-Benz Thailand announced the local-assembly programme of their flagship four-door coupe, the Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Joining the new CLS 300d at the assembly lines of the Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant (TAAP) is the all-new 3-litre inline six-cylinder engine that carries the AMG 53 designation.

This advanced technology engine not only features a small electrically-driven turbocharger but is paired with an EQ Boost integrated starter/generator that is part of the vehicle's 48-volt mild hybrid system.

The EQ Boost hardware that supplies an additional 22 hp and 250 Nm of torque accelerates the four-door coupe from zero to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds.

The price of the Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 is now THB 5.35 million, a massive THB 1.74 million cheaper than the model fully-imported from Germany.

Another AMG 53-series model was also introduced by Mercedes-Benz Thailand. The Mercedes-AMG E 53 Coupe is however fully-imported from Germany and thus carry a heftier price tag of THB 6.99 million.

Other high-performance models that are locally-assembled at the Samut Prakan plant include the Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe, Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe, and GLE 500e PHEV.

With this additional model getting being locally-assembled, Mercedes-Benz Thailand now only imports niche models such as the Mercedes-AMG 45-series (A, CLA, and GLA), E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet models, SLC convertibles, and V 250d MPV.

In Malaysia, the Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 is sourced from Sindelfingen, Germany and is priced from RM878,888.