Offensive in the Pearl River Delta
Since the start of the year, sales of SUVs in China have increased by about 41%.
In 2015 Mercedes-Benz will again post a record result in China, the world’s biggest automotive market: «Thanks to the strong performance of the C-Class and our SUV family, we have achieved a growth rate of 32% in the first ten months, and as of today we have served approximately 300,000 customers so far this year,» states Nicholas Speeks, President and CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co., Ltd. (BMBS). «Three things will allow us to continue our sustainable development in and with China – our strong dealer partner network, our robust product line-up, and of course, the core of our focus – providing the best customer experience,» continues Speeks.
Key Mercedes newcomers in China include the locally-produced GLC – the successor to the GLK that has proven so successful here. Since the start of the year, sales of SUVs in China have increased by about 41%. The GLK and GLA account for a significant share of this. The new GLC mid-size SUV has all the ingredients required to build on this success: its strengths under all driving conditions include the outstanding safety that is a brand hallmark, state-of-the-art assistance systems and high energy efficiency.
Extra impetus for Mercedes-Benz strategic hybrid initiative: the company will be launching a total of ten new Plug-In Hybrid models up to 2017. Making their debut on the Chinese market are the long-wheelbase versions of the S 500 e and the C 350 e, which can be seen in the showrooms now.
Agile and safe on country roads, dynamic on the racetrack: the Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG 4MATIC presented in 2013 exceeded all expectations, and captured the top position in its market. Following a comprehensive update, the high-performance compact car is now also available to customers in China.
Following the smart fortwo, which was presented in Shanghai in April, the new smart forfour is already the second China premiere of the year from smart. «We are confident that our new smart forfour will appeal to young and lifestyle-oriented families in particular,» says smart boss Dr Annette Winkler. «Here in China, the smart brand is a lifestyle icon and anything but mainstream: the new smart forfour provides further proof of this.»