Mercedes All New E-Class L is exhibited in a launch conference held in Beijing on Monday. (Photo: Zhang Ye/GT)
Mercedes-Benz on Monday officially launched a new version of its E-Class business sedan in China, a vehicle that is expected to be something the German premium car brand can bank on to win the 2016 sales crown.
The new version, known as the All New E-Class Long Wheelbase, sports a wheelbase that is 140 -millimeters longer than the standard model, and it is tailor-made for consumers from China, the fastest-growing market of Mercedes-Benz.
"China is and will remain the biggest market in the world and it is important to us," Nicholas Speeks, president and CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Ltd, told the Global Times during a media briefing on Monday in Beijing.
Mercedes-Benz sales in China surged 32 percent year-on-year to 257,276 during the first seven months of the current year, while its No.1 sales market - the EU - grew 12.3 percent from a year earlier.
Driven by the robust performance in the world's biggest auto market, seven-month overall car sales at Daimler's luxury brand were up 11.7 percent to 1.17 million units.
That put Mercedes, which overtook Audi to claim the No.2 spot in 2015, more than 30,000 cars ahead of its arch-rival BMW AG.
Deliveries by BMW, which became the global luxury sales leader in 2015, only increased 5.6 percent globally during the first seven months in comparison with the same period of the previous year.
Third-place Audi gained 5.2 percent year-on-year to 1.1 million vehicles in the first seven months.
"BMW will find it hard to maintain its leadership in 2016, as it has little coming up in the following months of the year to compete with Mercedes," Feng Shiming, a senior industry analyst with Shanghai-based Menutor Consulting, told the Global Times on Monday.
According to media reports, BMW won't refresh the 5 series, its E-Class competitor, until 2017.
It is quite possible that Mercedes will surpass BMW by global sales this year, said Feng.
Mercedes has big hopes for the All New E-Class, which the CEO described as the backbone of the company.
The E-Class series, sporting features like 64-color ambient lighting, smart connectivity and parking assist, can generate lots of interest, and that can "definitely" increase the number of customers, Speeks told the media briefing.
While sales are important, Speeks pledged that Mercedes won't pursue volume at the expense of customers.
On August 3, Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co started a nationwide -presales and marketing drive for the new version of the E-Class at prices ranging from 450,000 yuan ($67,854) to 550,000 yuan.
Feedback on the pre-sales campaign has been "positive," according to the CEO, who didn't elaborate.
Feng noted that sales of the All New E-Class in China could make a contribution to Mercedes' overall sales "but not significantly," as the cheaper C-Class series and SUV models will remain the widely preferred options among price-sensitive Chinese.
Still, in comparison with competitors from other brands, the All New E-Class series is expected to have a better performance in China.
