Hot! Mercedes-Benz, What's Next?

[Esp5]

All western car companies will become niche companies in China very soon.

I expect a market share decline of 95% in the next 5 years.

It won't go that far. They have to base themselves on good products to recover.
The German portfolio is in its mid-cycle with old technology. The new proposals that are arriving should stabilize things a bit.

Because this is what the Chinese government wants.

All foreign companies are half Chinese in China, the government wants them there investing, not losing.

All western car companies together will have a market share of less than 2%.

In reality, it is much closer to 10% or even more. Out of 31 million cars a year, more than 3 million are Western companies, although it is not equally important for all of them, it is for the Germans., the ones that sell the most are the German ones.

There was a life before China and there’ll be a life after China.

Yes, a very complicated life.
When your operating costs are tied to the market where you sell more than any other, if you lose it, your profitability will go down the drain.

 

[MPertz]

Nope they wouldn’t.

All western car companies will become niche companies in China very soon.

I expect a market share decline of 95% in the next 5 years.

Because this is what the Chinese government wants.

All western car companies together will have a market share of less than 2%.

There was a life before China and there’ll be a life after China.

Different models and preferences.

This will be the case, and I'll say why. I'm a European working in China and I see how the cea market is transforming here.

Given the plethora of options here, I would not buy a European car. Not a Mercedes, not a BMW. There are enough options on the market, with nice exterior design, much better interior design than any premium European car, and decent quality at half the price of European premium cars.

Xiaomi, NIO, BYD, etc, are slowly but surely taking the market share of the premium German brands.
There are no more reasons for the Chinese nationals to flock to the German brands.

Of course, when I'll be back in Europe, I'll continue to drive my F10

 

[MPertz]

All foreign companies are half Chinese in China, the government wants them there investing, not losing.

Not anymore. The Chinese Government has lifted the foreign ownership limit from 51%. Foreign companies can have 100% ownership now.

 

[Swissbob]

@MPertz
What do you think of this :

Of Course, The New AUDI E5 EV Is Ridiculously Cheap In China | Carscoops

The new E5 Sportback combines luxury features, huge power, and advanced tech with surprisingly low pricing

www.carscoops.com

 

[MPertz]

@MPertz
What do you think of this :

Of Course, The New AUDI E5 EV Is Ridiculously Cheap In China | Carscoops

The new E5 Sportback combines luxury features, huge power, and advanced tech with surprisingly low pricing

www.carscoops.com

I can see three things Audi did here:
1. They created the AUDI brand for China. And I think this is what Mercedes is hinting to when they speak about the Chinese market and that "Mercedes must become more Chinese" .
2. They adopted Chinese design inside/outside.
3. In order to be so cheap/affordable, they must be using a big portion of local supplied parts. The most expensive part being the battery, which is locally purchased from CATL. By doing this, they are able to compete with the Chinese brands.

The deliveries will start in about a month, maybe a month and a half, so I'm curious also to see it on the streets.

If Mercedes is not doing a similar move, their market share will only plummet.

 

[Esp5]

Not anymore. The Chinese Government has lifted the foreign ownership limit from 51%. Foreign companies can have 100% ownership now.

Is there any automaker other than BMW that has increased its share?

Given the plethora of options here, I would not buy a European car. Not a Mercedes, not a BMW. There are enough options on the market, with nice exterior design, much better interior design than any premium European car, and decent quality at half the price of European premium cars.

Xiaomi, NIO, BYD, etc, are slowly but surely taking the market share of the premium German brands.
There are no more reasons for the Chinese nationals to flock to the German brands.

The Chinese offer better products at ridiculous prices; it's not sustainable; most lose money on every vehicle they sell.

I think the market will settle and stabilize. To say the Germans lost to the Chinese is to underestimate them. I don't deny that things are falling faster than expected and that Mercedes is in a worse position than anyone else with its EV reputation, but I think the picture will become clearer in a couple of years, if they don't continue to fall.

 

[Nikita6996]

 

[Luca]

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[AbsoluteUnit]

You know that's not bad actually. There's still physical controls

 

[Swissbob]

You know that's not bad actually. There's still physical controls

3 Displays and improved stalks.

 

[Jacke]

i kinda like it ,it reminds me of the 2014 S class screen layout

 

[Serpens]

You know that's not bad actually. There's still physical controls

Yeah, not bad. Shame they didn't change the door cards though. The design is still good looking but this is going to look its age next to the new X5.

 

[klier]

Yeah this is very good actually. Well done.

Yeah, not bad. Shame they didn't change the door cards though. The design is still good looking but this is going to look its age next to the new X5.

In what way? They look clean, premium and fit the theme. The color scheme with the black top/bottom and light middle blends really well with the black upper dash and footwells too.

 

[Serpens]

Yeah this is very good actually. Well done.



In what way? They look clean, premium and fit the theme. The color scheme with the black top/bottom and light middle blends really well with the black upper dash and footwells too.

It’s a design I’ve been looking at for over 6 years and it’s going to be around for about 2-3 years more. It’s just looking familiar and other cars in the lineup have moved to new designs.

As I said, I do think the design still looks good but is starting to look aged.

 

[PHYBENZ]

Wow this is a relief. Much better than I expected. I think because it is not as tall, it looks much better than the CLA.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

i kinda like it ,it reminds me of the 2014 S class screen layout

Agreed. They should have done more and better for the GLE and GLS considering their volumes.

 

[Design FIRST]

If they were smart they'd pull out and focus on Europe and America and make products geared towards them as they can still be super competitive there.

Despite the "potential" of the large EU consumer market, most major EU economies find themselves in treacherous currents and the German economy, still the EU's largest, has become a bonafide basket case and firmly cemented in recession. Not the most sustainable of environments, I would think. Add what appears to be a diminishing emphasis on vehicle ownership in general. This applies especially to urbanites. e-Bike ownership is booming though.

And as for the United States: The destabilization ushered by the Trump administration is making it extremely difficult for the EU. and especially German automotive manufacturers, to construct a sustainable U.S. market game plan. Planning and investment have become a highly unpredictable crapshoot. Sure, China is brutally machiavellian. Unwaiveringly so, actually. Yet still, it offers a far higher degree of planning security than the Trump, Vance & Co. U.S. does. And the assembly and finish quality of high volume produced vehicles in Chinese appears vastly superior to those producded in the U.S. Case in point point: Tesla. .

But they are too greedy

That's for sure. In this aspect, German manufacturers have been instrumental in creating the mess that they now find themselves in.

 

[Merc1]

Agreed. They should have done more and better for the GLE and GLS considering their volumes.

This is just for two years tho right? All new models coming in 2028? These can’t go on any longer than that.

M

 

[Design FIRST]

From what I can detect on this image, it appears very well resolved. Should material and fit/finish be top notch-and exterior design compelling, this could be a strong statement that M-B is serious about embarking on the path leading to salvation.

 

[Luca]

Das sind die Highlights von Mercedes auf der IAA 2025
Hier gibt es erste Einblicke zum Mercedes-Benz Messestand im Apothekenhof in der Münchner City. Hier sind keine Eintrittskarten nötig.

Des Weiteren hat man auf dem Summit in der Münchner Messe einen Stand. Dort benötigt man ein Ticket. Hier stehen jedoch eher wenig Fahrzeuge, sodass eigentlich der Besuch des Apothekenhofs in der Münchner City ausreichend ist.





Standführungen über den Open Space (Apothekenhof)
Wenn man eine Standführung wünscht, um mehr zu erfahren, soll man sich an seinen Mercedes-Benz Vertriebspartner wenden, er wird dies dann organisieren. Die Führung dauert 25 bis 30 Minuten und ist in Deutsch und Englisch buchbar.

Auf dem Apothekenhof steht eine Flotte von 30 elektrischen und elektrifizierten Modellen für Mitfahrten bereit. Mit der „IAA Experience“ wird zukunftsorientierte Mobilität hautnah erlebbar.

Mercedes IAA 2025 OpenSpace Apothekenhof

Mercedes IAA 2025 Stand im Stil des neuen GLC EQ Grills
Apothekenhof in der Münchner Residenz.

Zugang über Odeonsplatz/Residenzstraße oder Alfons-Goppel-Straße.