C CLASS SUV to be built in Bremen

( C Class SUV ? )

DaimlerChrysler to Build SUV in Germany

DaimlerChrysler AG said Thursday it will build a new sports utility vehicle at a plant in northern Germany as it expands its range of vehicles.

The German-U.S. automaker, the world's fifth largest, had said it was looking to add another SUV to its lineup, and was determining whether it would be built in Brazil or in Germany.

"The decision to produce the vehicle in Bremen is a building block of our employment accord, and also shows that Germany is a competitive production location if the right framework conditions are defined," chief executive Juergen Schrempp said.

The Bremen plants employs approximately 13,700 workers. The company did not say when production of the new SUV, based on the Mercedes C-class lineup and dubbed the "sport utility tourer," would begin.

DaimlerChrysler was set to release its first-quarter earnings figures later Thursday.