The "catch" of being the CEO of Daimler/M-B, is that people expect a ton from M-B, making it so there will ALWAYS be "room for improvement". I think M-B's decreasing market share has nothing to do with their current product lineup, design, engines, HP, MPG, etc. etc. It has to do with a decade +'s worth of deteriorating the brands core values and quality, and turning off customer after customer who would vow to "never return" (I know many of them, my Mom was one, and many of her friends switched to BMW or Lexus in the mid 2000's). These things don't happen overnight to storied brands like M-B, it's like a momentum wave..... Takes decades to build up, then takes year after year of chipping to bring it down.... Where M-B are now is at the place where they're scrambling to keep that wave from falling, and they've propped it back up indeed.... However, while they put so much effort into propping it back up, other waves formed and have now reached or surpassed M-B's wave size (erm: Sales/Market Share). They've done a remarkable job IMO of saving the ship from sinking and bringing it back up to tip top shape.... However, like any "wave" it will have to ride back on a momentum push, which is difficult as Audi has major momentum right now, and BMW has been riding a high momentum for a while (they're next..... i.e, they've solidified themselves as one of the kings, so all eyes are on them, and all scrutiny and expectation will be on them), but the handlers of M-B have indeed "fixed" things quickly. Now, they have to keep progressing while not messing up ANYWHERE, be it quality, design, efficiency, etc. etc. or else the consequences could be disastrous to them keeping a commanding role in the Premium Car business, in terms of Sales and Market Share (not in terms of Product, necessarily).
I agree with Jimmy that rising WITHOUT diluting out the very premium and richness that has protected and floated this brand through such a decade of inferior quality products will be the BIG task. I'm "concerned" by some of the dilution/lower-end partnering that Dr. Z has embarked on already, but hopefully he knows what he's doing and has more than short term Market Share gain on his mind (i.e protecting the values and very top-tier Premium nature of the Mercedes-Benz brand).
I think it looks great.
