<p>Mercedes-Benz said it began series production of the new GLA at its Rastatt plant on 17 September 2026. The company says the electric version is already in production and that 48-volt hybrid versions will follow later in the year. This is a current production-launch fact, not evidence of a capacity commitment, a supplier allocation, or a programme outcome.</p> <p>The more useful procurement reading is the production-network context disclosed alongside the launch. Mercedes-Benz identifies electric drive units and axles from Untertürkheim, high-voltage batteries from its Accumotive subsidiary in Kamenz, and body-in-white, structural, and body parts from Kuppenheim. Those stated links provide a starting point for a programme evidence record: which components are delivered as systems, what hand-offs exist between sites, and which design or volume assumptions need to be tracked by the responsible teams.</p> <p>Rastatt is also described as drive-system-flexible: hybrid and fully electric vehicles are built on the same line as conventional-drive vehicles. That matters because manufacturing flexibility is not a generic resilience claim. It needs to be tested against the actual line configuration, change-control process, component readiness, labour plan, and product mix. A flexible line can support options; it does not by itself establish that every upstream dependency is interchangeable.</p> <p>For a buyer or programme team, the practical next step is modest. Document the declared component flow, identify the evidence owner for each interface, and flag assumptions that would need fresh technical, quality, commercial, or capacity review if the powertrain mix changes. Supplier qualification, availability, commercial decisions, and awards remain the buyer's responsibility.</p> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://group.mercedes-benz.com/company/production/production-network/start-of-production-gla-rastatt.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mercedes-Benz Group, 17 September 2026</a>.</p>