It is a German car designed by Daimler-Benz, parent company of Mercedes-Benz, built in a Daimler-Benz factory on French soil.
I still consider any Toyota Camry or Honda Accord distinctly Japanese vehicles, despite the fact that millions of them have been assembled on US soil.
It is NOT a "French car". Given the historical French manufacturing industry's reputation for poor quality control, I am pleased at how well-built our smarts are.