Daimler will add a third shift at its Rastatt plant in Germany from next week to meet demand for its new Mercedes-Benz A-Class compact hatchback after receiving orders for 70,000 cars since June.

“We have expanded our full-time workforce by 500 permanent staff and are now well positioned to deliver the cars to our customers as soon as possible,” Rastatt plant director Peter West told Reuters.

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The completely redesigned A-Class compact is a key element of chief executive Dieter Zetsche’s plan to regain leadership from larger premium rivals BMW and Audi, the news agency added.