At a press briefing yesterday to announce a $350 million expansion of their Alabama operations, Mercedes-Benz teased the assembled crowd with hints of a new model to be produced there. No specifics were given, but the consensus centers around a BMW X6 competitor built on the M-class platform.

A banner hoisted at the event seemed to support the notion, showing a draped silhouette not too far removed from the slopebacked X6 — although Mercedes officials were quick to state that the drapes might not match the carpeting, if you catch my drift. Following normal Mercedes naming standards, the model is expected to be called the MLC.

Speaking at the event, Mercedes director of Alabama operations Markus Schaefer spoke of the significance of the company's 125-year history: "Our heritage is the inventor of the car." Just how this tradition of invention and leadership will play into a me-too plunge into a very tight market niche remains to be clearly seen.