Mercedes-Benz bolsters product strength with NEV strategy

The car industry in 2017 has seen slowing growth. However, there's always a silver lining, with the premium car market standing slightly higher in spite of the industrywide trend.

The latest indicator comes from Mercedes-Benz, which has sustained healthy and steady momentum, with nearly 508,000 vehicles sold in first ten months, 27 percent growth year-on-year. These impressive transcripts turned out to be quite a convincing refrain for the company's already staggering two-million-unit sales record in China over the past half-decade.

More importantly, however, numbers are just outgrowth of the company's years of dedicated work rather than a deliberate choice or measure of success, as the company aims at staying humble and confident.

"We truly enjoy the dynamics of the Chinese market, and we are very thankful for the outstanding acceptance of our brand and products by our Chinese customers," said Hubertus Troska, member of the board of management at Daimler AG, responsible for China, at a news conference.

The Stuttgart-based automaker introduced 34 Mercedes and smart models, including one premiere and ten launches, in a bid to amaze a number of onsite media in the balmy coastal city of Guangzhou, wrapping up the already successful year.

And even, for the first time in China, the company has taken the role of a lead runner among top three German brands in the first ten months this year. "That position may be maintained and it may not, but I tell you in all sincerity that in many ways it is unimportant," said Nicholas Speeks, president & CEO, Beijing MercedesBenz Sales Service Co Ltd.

"What we and I are most proud of, is the work we have done to win the trust of our dealers and our growing family of customers and friends that have brought us to that position," he said.

The collection of launches that stole the spotlight includes the Concept EQA, Maybach S 680 and E 63 S 4MATIC+ Special Edition, spanning the range from vision of the future of e-mobility to staples of pre- mium sedan and performance driving. While consistently introducing new models that push the boundaries of automotive technology, the German automaker also worked to harden the dealer relationship in further lifting the customer experience. "We are working closely with our dealer partners to create a new retail ecosystem that enables more efficient retail operation, enhanced personnel expertise, and ultimately better customer experience in the digital economy and moving forward," said Li Hongpeng, the company's senior executive vice-president. "We are very confident that we can make this a reality."

Not satisfied with merely staying true to their long-term commitment to China through the right products and services, what the company pursues also lies in investing in the future.

For instance, new energy vehicles, or NEVs, offer a salient representation of future solutions for human mobility, which have already seen half a million units sold in first ten months in China, the world's largest NEV market, and are expected to account for 15 to 20 percent of its sales by 2025.