Hot! Mercedes-Benz, What's Next?

[AbsoluteUnit]

This is a truly great question.



Nonsense. Well, the price part that is.
A 2026 Kia Seltos costs half of what a new GLB costs and is looking to be superior on all fronts, particularly design inside out.

$24k

The new GLB starts at like around $45k (I don't see the new one on the MB USA website)

Never in a million years would I want that dreadful Benz over this Kia.

Well that's my exact point.
But people will still buy the Benz because it is a Benz. People will still buy the iX1 or the Q3, even though for your money the Kia is just better.

 

[klier]

How many people give a shit about RWD vs FWD? Well not enough to stop the 1er, A-class and A1/3 selling like absolute hotcakes.

1er sales have plummeted since going FWD, and the car is the worst selling BMW despite being the cheapest.
Selling like hotcakes in an alternate universe maybe.

The BEV replacement is going RWD again. But this is years and years off I believe.

 

[Swissbob]

1er sales have plummeted since going FWD, and the car is the worst selling BMW despite being the cheapest.
Selling like hotcakes in an alternate universe maybe.

The BEV replacement is going RWD again. But this is years and years off I believe.

This wasn’t a very good decision from BMW, the RWD 1er was unique.

 

[klier]

This wasn’t a very good decision from BMW, the RWD 1er was unique.

Probably the worst decision they've ever made.
We now have actual FWD Bimmers. And the thought alone still makes me puke. What a horrible thing.

 

[Uygar]

Yeah, but to that tune, having a luxury car at all is kind of posing/making a statement.
Either of your wealth or status or your taste in cars or whatever.
I mean its baked into the entire logic of trim levels and model variants.

The gap between economy cars and luxury cars has never been smaller (neither has the price loool) so going for a Mercedes over a Toyota, or a BMW over a Kia or whatever, absolutely has a lot to do with brand image for most people, rather than what the car delivers.

How many people give a shit about RWD vs FWD? Well not enough to stop the 1er, A-class and A1/3 selling like absolute hotcakes. How many people care about drivetrain, when most people end up getting the base model with no options?

Yes, I agree with your statement. But I think some luxury cars acts much more as status symbol compared to other models. When it comes to SUV’s I immediately think of Range Rover and G-Wagon. We all know how unreliable the Range Rover’s are, but it’s the ultimate flex for many people. You can get a GLE 63 or an X5 M for a pretty close price, yet they don’t have the wow-factor like them. At least that’s how I think.

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

1er sales have plummeted since going FWD, and the car is the worst selling BMW despite being the cheapest.
Selling like hotcakes in an alternate universe maybe.

The BEV replacement is going RWD again. But this is years and years off I believe.

I dunno man, everywhere I go I see the 1er, 2gc, A class and A3. Everywhere.
People just want the badge.

 

[klier]

People just want the badge.

Not for long when you pay twice as much for a car less good.

Talk about deluding a brand's image.

 

[Swissbob]

Probably the worst decision they've ever made.
We now have actual FWD Bimmers. And the thought alone still makes me puke. What a horrible thing.

100% agreed ,

 

[kiki voinea]

10-15 years ago the G-wagen was still loved by a bunch of people, wives included. Demand didn't just rise recently in the U.S. As soon as Mercedes started importing them without Europa being involved, demand steadily grew in the U.S.

I did not say that it was never loved.

I only said that most women love the G wagon this days because it's a status symbol and it's trendy.

G wagon today is what Range Rover was 10 years ago.

I personally have 5 friends with G wagons , and my godmother , and all of them never loved it 10-15 years ago.

BTW, my wife had a RR , and now , of course , loves the G wagon....

 

[Uygar]

I dunno man, everywhere I go I see the 1er, 2gc, A class and A3. Everywhere.
People just want the badge.

1er and A-Class is not particularly popular here, while it’s the exact opposite for the A3. People love the A3 sedan.

 

[Swissbob]

Re: Range Rover
As it happens I also own a L405 LCI Range Rover and TBH it’s better than a G, but the G is more interesting and fun to drive.

The L460 is even better compared to the L405, but it doesn’t feel like a Range Rover, it reminds me of a X7. That’s why I haven’t got the L460.

 

[Gor134]

Armenians, Russians, Middle Easterns and other cultures around that region have historically loved the G-Class for DECADES as it's been seen as a "status" symbol and a "I made it" type of car.

While there is a huge boost in popularity recently with the new money class buying up G Classes too, there's still a long time loyal following to the car that buy it as family cars.

 

[lukeswiss]

I did not say that it was never loved.

I only said that most women love the G wagon this days because it's a status symbol and it's trendy.

G wagon today is what Range Rover was 10 years ago.

I personally have 5 friends with G wagons , and my godmother , and all of them never loved it 10-15 years ago.

BTW, my wife had a RR , and now , of course , loves the G wagon....

It has a real image problem in my city, they’re driven by the worst people. Pretty much since the new model came out … I think it got too easy to drive.

 

[Esp5]

Baby G ideas....

This definitely won't be the front

 

[Serpens]

Stop posting this trash. It adds nothing. We don't need "ideas"

 

[Esp5]

Stop posting this trash. It adds nothing. We don't need "ideas"

This is the first time this has been posted about the Baby G; it's just a render of the real thing with the camouflage removed, so it does give a rough but preliminary idea.

 

[Serpens]

This is the first time this has been posted about the Baby G; it's just a render of the real thing with the camouflage removed, so it does give a rough but preliminary idea.

I stand by my comment.

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

Mercedes Has Finally Figured Out A Way To Sell Modern Headlights That Don't Cost $1 Billion To Replace - The Autopian

Modern headlight assemblies regularly cost over $1,000 to replace. Mercedes has figured out a way to make it way, way cheaper.

www.theautopian.com

Some good news here. Hopefully they carry this through to all models. Going down this road, necessitates good build quality, so here's hoping.
Headlights are so complicated these days, that anything to make repair/replacement cheaper would be a godsend.

Cost me damn near £800 to replace a single F10 5er headlight due to a bit of condensation. Ridiculous.