Press Release Global sales : October 2012 : BMW, Audi, MB

[EnI]

BMW brand: 132,823 (+15.4%) ... YTD 1,242,817 (+9.3%)
MINI: 24,483 (+2.7%) ... YTD 247,698 (+6.7%)
BMW + MINI: 157,618 (+13.2%) ... YTD 1,493,153 (+8.8%)
More: https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pres...lId=6&id=T0134259EN&left_menu_item=node__2201


Audi brand: 123,600 (+13.9%) ... YTD 1,221,150 (+12.9%)
More: http://www.audi.com/com/brand/en/company/news.detail.2012~11~audi_ag__sales_in.html


MB brand: 109,632 (+6.0%) ... YTD 1,074,558 (+5.1%)
Smart: 8,977 (+8.1%) ... YTD 87,961 (+2.4%)
MB + smart: 118,609 (+6.2%) ... YTD 1,162,519 (+4.9%)
More: http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-...1-11700-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0.html?TS=1352450359486

 

[EnI]

MB's fiasco in Chinese market (October & YTD):

Audi: 35,899 (+29.5%) ... YTD 332,959 (+31.2%)
BMW: 27,828 (+51.7%) ... YTD 264,884 (+35.2%)
MB: 15,895 (-3.9%) ... YTD 160,425 (+5.5%)

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

What exactly is happening in the Chinese market. Wolf mentioned that there are issues with MB's distribution network. Do we know any more details?

 

[EnI]

What exactly is happening in the Chinese market. Wolf mentioned that there are issues with MB's distribution network. Do we know any more details?

I found an article on MB's troubles in China ...


http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-25/mercedes-needs-to-rethink-china

Most of the company’s problems are self-inflicted. (The Mercedes China office declined to comment for this article.) The German automaker failed to release new models at the right price points and lacks a cohesive brand positioning to account for shifts in Chinese consumer buying behavior. Mercedes’s first mistake was not keeping up with demand for sportier cars that ultra-wealthy Chinese can drive, rather than rely on chauffeurs.

Mercedes also missed the trend that has wealthy Chinese preferring high-end SUVs over sedans and it failed to release an SUV that is competitive against the Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5. ... Mercedes rolled out the GLK SUV at the 2008 Beijing auto show, but wealthy Chinese considered it low-end at a mere $50,000. The M-Class, an older luxury SUV, is boxy and plain and lacks the handling ability of its rivals.

Finally, Mercedes’s dealer network suffers from the worst satisfaction scores achieved against BMW, Audi, Maserati, and Porsche, based on customer satisfaction surveys and mystery shopping that we completed. Common complaints have been that Mercedes salesmen were “unhelpful”, “unknowledgable,” and “unprepared” to deal with customer questions.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

So MB China is simply a basket case offering the wrong product and arrogant monkeys as salesman.

Thank's for the report Eni. I'd love to read more about this.

 

[Giannis]

Plus, there isn't a long wheelbase C-Class offered. I believe that both the 3er Long and the A4L sell very good!