GENEVA – Mercedes-Benz will offer fewer customer options in its cars.

“We will surely continue to offer greater variety than a brand such as Hyundai,” Mercedes Car Group CEO Dieter Zetsche said.

But he also said that he plans to reduce overlapping offers, such as two sports packages on the same model.

Some Mercedes models are offered with a sports package that includes a stiffer suspension, bigger wheels and different trim. But they also are available with a package from in-house tuning specialist AMG, which includes similar treatment but different alloy wheels and additional spoilers and cladding.

Carmakers such as Mercedes and BMW boost revenue by offering customer-specified options, but doing so increases the cost and complexity of their production process.

The move is part of Zetsche’s plan to boost productivity at Mercedes.

He wants to:

>> Get engineers to consider production processes early in a model’s development

Reduce manufacturing complexity.

>> Zetsche said Mercedes’ benchmark for productivity and quality is Lexus, the luxury division of Japanese auto-maker Toyota.

Lexus cars come with more standard equipment than their Mercedes counterparts, but typically offer only a few options.