Mercedes to bring production of another model to Hungary

Mercedes will also start producing the A-Class in Hungary from this year, Foreign Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó announced on Facebook on Tuesday.

Mercedes in Hungary

Mercedes passenger cars have been rolling off the production lines in Hungary since 2012 at the company’s plant in Kecskemét, making the country an important player in the brand’s global manufacturing network. However, the modern Kecskemét factory represents only the latest chapter in a Hungarian Mercedes story spanning more than a century.

The industrial presence of the company’s predecessors in Hungary dates back to the early 20th century, when representation and licensed production of the Benz brand began. Between the two world wars and in the decades that followed, trucks and buses were manufactured in Hungary under Benz/Mercedes licenses, primarily for domestic transport companies.

After the political transition of the early 1990s, the Germany-based company gradually strengthened its presence on the Hungarian market—first as a distributor, and later as a potential investor. The decisive turning point came in 2008, when the company announced it would build its first passenger car plant in Central and Eastern Europe in Kecskemét, Hungary. The foundation stone was laid in 2009, and the investment created thousands of jobs while bringing significant infrastructure development to the region. The modern, flexible production system was designed specifically for compact premium models, initially the B-Class and later the CLA family.

On March 29, 2012, the first series-produced Mercedes B-Class rolled off the Kecskemét production line, officially marking the start of Mercedes passenger car manufacturing in Hungary. Within a few years, production expanded to include the CLA and CLA Shooting Brake, turning the plant into a key pillar of the company’ global compact car strategy. Today, the Kecskemét factory is a central element of the brand’s worldwide production network, supplying both European and overseas markets. Continuous capacity expansions and technological upgrades aim to ensure the plant remains a key player in the production of compact and electrified models in the future.

Further Expansion, Another Model

In his statement, Szijjártó wrote that looking at Kecskemét, it is clear that over just more than a decade, Mercedes has built its largest European factory in Hungary—surpassed globally only by capacities established in China. More than 5,000 people now work directly at its plant, which was named Hungary’s most attractive workplace in 2024 and has been repeatedly selected as the best factory within the Mercedes Group worldwide.

In October 2024, the two-millionth vehicle rolled off the Kecskemét production line. Today, the plant manufactures state-of-the-art internal combustion engine vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and fully electric models. At the same time, Mercedes is in the process of establishing its first research and development center in Hungary.

“Today, we have another piece of good news: Mercedes has decided to bring production of the A-Class to Hungary as well from this year,” Szijjártó wrote. He highlighted that this means Mercedes will now manufacture three models in Hungary, including the new high-tech, fully electric GLB, the new C-Class, and once again the A-Class, which will now roll off Hungarian production lines.

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