Hot! Mercedes-Benz, What's Next?

[sl123]

New AMS

 

[Design FIRST]

New AMS

I cannot recall AMuS having ever featured accurate renderings. And more recently, the quality of the general content seems to have diminished. However, it's been ages since I've leafed through a print edition, so I can only judge on the basis of the online content. It must be close to 20 years, if not more, since I've cancelled my magazine subscription.

I still very much appreciate the Alexander Bloch videos and the MOOVE podcasts, though.

 

[Swissbob]

https://www-focus-de.translate.goog/finanzen/news/4-kehrtwenden-in-18-monaten-der-schlinger-kurs-von-mercedes_f1e7f39e-ec5d-424b-8c9b-39b230dce689.html?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp

This was written by a former Mercedes Benz manager, he was there until 21.

I think he nailed it.

In the last 18 months, CEO Ola Källenius has changed course four times:

1. The luxury strategy has been abandoned.
2. The A-Class brought back
3. Level 3 autonomous driving cancelled
4. The EV design completely reversed

The problem is: He defined each of these strategies himself. And then he scrapped each one himself.
Källenius corrects Källenius.


Mercedes would have the best cards. The inventor of the automobile. The brand, the history, the engineering culture.
But those who struggle so much with change eventually lose themselves. And with them, the people who make a Mercedes a Mercedes.
Lost in Transformation.
I recently read a post from my former mentor. He's worked for Mercedes for 25 years. He writes that Mercedes isn't just a job for him, but a conviction.
I read the post twice.
Because people like him are Mercedes' greatest asset. Not the platforms. Not the models. Not the strategy. But people who are passionate about "the star".
I would have thought of some of them: They'll never leave this corporation.
Many of them have left by now. They've taken their severance pay.
Not because they wanted to. But because no one could tell them anymore why they should stay.
The problem isn't financial. It's narrative. Mercedes no longer has a story it can tell its own people. No story that unites over 160,000 employees. And you don't just need a story like that for your own people. You need it for the financial markets, too. And for your customers.
As long as this story is missing, "Profitable Growth" remains what it is: organized hope.

 

[kiki voinea]

https://www-focus-de.translate.goog/finanzen/news/4-kehrtwenden-in-18-monaten-der-schlinger-kurs-von-mercedes_f1e7f39e-ec5d-424b-8c9b-39b230dce689.html?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp

This was written by a former Mercedes Benz manager, he was there until 21.

I think he nailed it.

It's not just a MB issue . It's the whole german manufacturers issue .

The quality has dropped , prices increased . No new tech , no new useful features , only gimmicks .

They fear China . And they should . Because while chinese cars don't offer great quality , they offer enough quality at a great price.

If you take the quality out of a german manufacturer , what do you receive? Exactly what we have right now : mediocre cars , with good performance , but ultra high price and ultra low quality and 2 tons of plastic.

Why did Merz started his chinese visit spree ? He is trying to save the car manufacturers....

BYD sold 4.6mil cars in 2025....That is almost MB + BMW , combined !

 

[Swissbob]

It reminds me of the malaise era you had in the USA.

Way too expensive mediocre cars, built for fuel efficiency nobody cares about, except a few lunatic politicians.

 

[Merc1]

What is the average price of a BYD vehicle?

M

 

[kiki voinea]

It reminds me of the malaise era you had in the USA.

Way too expensive mediocre cars, built for fuel efficiency nobody cares about, except a few lunatic politicians.

I would not say that fuel efficiency was the issue . The price is always the issue

Stellantis blame the EVs for their poor sales , and poor financial outcome . But look outside of the picture : nobody buys their ICE cars also....

The EV market is growing . That is a fact . But people look at Tesla and Stellantis EVs and say "oh , look , nobody wants EVs" . That is stupid . Nobody wants their bland and expensive EVs.

Take for example the Charger EV . It's stupid . We all agree . But nobody was buying the ICE Charger also ...

The ICE sold , 87k in 2022 , 46k in 2023 , and 24k in 2024 . There was no EV in this period .

But 2025 came with the EV , and it totally flopped . But the EV was to blame....Come on....

What is the average price of a BYD vehicle?

M

It depends on the market ( taxes / tariffs )

 

[Merc1]

It depends on the market ( taxes / tariffs )

In China, are they selling for same prices as Mercedes or BMW? They aren't sold here.

M

 

[Swissbob]

In Switzerland EVs are down 66% in January.

Yes we’re are a small market, but the cars are still relatively cheap compared to the average salary.

Even in luxury villages like St. Moritz where money isn’t an issue, people are keeping their old luxury cars, because the new ones are worse than the predecessors.

There are 2 exceptions, the new Range Rover and the facelifted G.

 

[Design FIRST]

The price is always the issue.

For the overwhelming majority of consumers, it certainly is. People "buy" prices as much as they "buy" (or lease) automobiles. Here is where the Chinese manufacturers may make massive inroads into the EU/UK markets. In times of diminishing German brand equities and tighter wallets of the masses, the dilemma has become all the more pressing.

The EV market is growing . That is a fact . But people look at Tesla and Stellantis EVs and say "oh , look , nobody wants EVs" . That is stupid . Nobody wants their bland and expensive EVs.

Precisely. Tesla's case has also undeniably become a highly "quasi-political Elon Musk thing" as well.

But the EV was to blame....Come on....

So much of which being a "tribal thing".

 

[Merc1]

After BMW "mistakenly" released their 2027 model lineup for the USA, it's going to be a complete slug fest next year in the US market at least. Almost ever BMW model will be touched by some change and a lot of new introductions including a iX4 and a AWD M2.

BMW Website Leaks Existence of All-Wheel-Drive M2 and Several Other Exciting EVs

BMW is overhauling its lineup for 2027, with an array of new electric and gas-powered models ranging from the M2 xDrive to the iX5 electric SUV.

www.caranddriver.com

Mercedes will have new or revised:

C-Class FL
GLC53
GLC EV
S-Class FL
GLB
GLA
VLE
AMG GT EV 4-door
GLS FL
GLE FL

2027 is going to be quite a year for both.

M