Daimler to hike Mercedes production in Alabama by 60,000 vehicles

(Reuters) - Daimler AG will hike output at its Alabama Mercedes-Benz plant by 60,000 vehicles annually as it increases production of the C-Class sedan and adds a new sports utility vehicle, the ML Coupe, Daimler's chief executive officer said on Friday. Dieter Zetsche visited Daimler's plant in Tuscaloosa on Friday, where he gave specific numbers to the additional production that Daimler signaled in June. Production of the C-Class sedan began in June in Alabama. In 2013, the German automaker produced 185,000 vehicles, including ML-Class and GL-Class SUVs, at its Alabama plant. Daimler's best-selling model is the C-Class sedan, which was already being produced in Germany and South Africa before Alabama production began three months ago. Zetsche told community groups in Tuscaloosa on Friday that the plant now employs 3,400 workers, according to a press release from Mercedes-Benz in the United States. He also said that the Tuscaloosa plant has built more than 2 million vehicles since opening 20 years ago. (Reporting by Bernie Woodall in Detroit; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)