The Mercedes-Benz M-Class (GLE-Class) is a midsize luxury crossover SUV produced by the German automaker Mercedes-Benz since 1997. In terms of size, it is slotted in between the smaller GLC-Class (based on the C-Class) and the larger GLS-Class, with which it shares platforms. For a short time, between 1999 and 2002, the M-Class was also built by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, for the European market, before all the production moved to the U.S. plant near Vance, Alabama. From late 2012, the M-Class was also assembled at new plants in India and Indonesia.