E-Class (W214) [Official] New Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W214)

[Tourbillon]

Absolutely.

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

Yeah cause I’m ready to see it. I’m betting it will get the hybrid 53 treatment from the GLE53. I know it’s going be a looker. So not worried about that.

M

I know it'll be a hybrid, but for once I hope Mercedes gets with the program and just puts out a 530 horsepower i6 without the extra weight of the hybrid

That's a car that where you can actually see it's soul.

M

It's funny because it has the beating heart of an AMG V12 that Mercedes themselves no longer use outside of Maybach.

Imagine another S65 or better yet a GT65 with that lovely torque-y M279

 

[PsychDoc]

Any update on when the W214 will start showing up in showrooms or in people's garages? If not in the next couple of months, they should probably bite the bullet and consider rebranding this as a 2025 model.

Hard to believe that a company as huge as M-B could be caught so flat footed by component shortages. Just amazing.

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

Any update on when the W214 will start showing up in showrooms or in people's garages? If not in the next couple of months, they should probably bite the bullet and consider rebranding this as a 2025 model.

Hard to believe that a company as huge as M-B could be caught so flat footed by component shortages. Just amazing.

Supply chain logistics is complicated.
You carry on with the assumption that suppliers can meet their commitments and there isn't a whole lot you can do if they don't

 

[dalab]

Supply chain logistics is complicated.
You carry on with the assumption that suppliers can meet their commitments and there isn't a whole lot you can do if they don't

The same rules of the game apply to everyone, no one else seems to have that problem.
It ends up being a vulgar excuse for bad management

 

[PsychDoc]

Supply chain logistics is complicated.
You carry on with the assumption that suppliers can meet their commitments and there isn't a whole lot you can do if they don't

Sure there is. Terminate the contract with the current supplier and find one that can get the job done. BMW figured out how to get the parts they needed to build the G60 and thousands are on ships and being delivered to buyers as we speak.

It's just a case of horrific business mismanagement. M-B has lost millions of dollars due to their bungling of the introduction of the W214. Hell, there's still no way to even configure it on their USA website.

This is really an epic corporate fail.

 

[Serpens]

Sure there is. Terminate the contract with the current supplier and find one that can get the job done. BMW figured out how to get the parts they needed to build the G60 and thousands are on ships and being delivered to buyers as we speak.

It's just a case of horrific business mismanagement. M-B has lost millions of dollars due to their bungling of the introduction of the W214. Hell, there's still no way to even configure it on their USA website.

This is really an epic corporate fail.

It’s quite wild you think you can find a new supplier for a major component like this so quickly. Even if they did sign on a new supplier it would take them several months if not a year to actually get the components into production at the capacity MB needs. There’s a significant lead time involved with things like this.

MBUSA not allowing you to configure new models is normal btw. They don’t ensble that until after cars are out on the road for some reason. You’ll note the new GLC coupe isn’t on there for example and those arrived at dealers last month.

 

[PsychDoc]

It’s quite wild you think you can find a new supplier for a major component like this so quickly. Even if they did sign on a new supplier it would take them several months if not a year to actually get the components into production at the capacity MB needs. There’s a significant lead time involved with things like this.

MBUSA not allowing you to configure new models is normal btw. They don’t ensble that until after cars are out on the road for some reason. You’ll note the new GLC coupe isn’t on there for example and those arrived at dealers last month.

Whatever excuses anyone wants to make, there's no mistaking the fact that this is really an epic business failure that companies like BMW have avoided. I have no reason to believe that if M-B had had better planning in place they, too, could have avoided this disaster.
As I said, if this goes on much longer with earliest deliveries probably not occurring until the Fall, they need to rebrand the W214 as a 2025 model.

 

[dalab]

if this goes on much longer
they need to rebrand the W214 as a 2025 model.

They are going to have to rebrand it to W215

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

Whatever excuses anyone wants to make, there's no mistaking the fact that this is really an epic business failure that companies like BMW have avoided. I have no reason to believe that if M-B had had better planning in place they, too, could have avoided this disaster.
As I said, if this goes on much longer with earliest deliveries probably not occurring until the Fall, they need to rebrand the W214 as a 2025 model.

It's not excuses, it's just the reality of manufacturing. Lead times exist, and you can't just terminate a contract and change suppliers and expect them to produce the stuff you need immediately.

It's a failure, yes, but you can't always plan around component shortages like this - especially if they occur at the last minute and leave you little time to arrange for alternatives.

BMW avoided this particular problem because they don't offer mild hybrid set ups on as much of their Model and SKU portfolio as Mercedes. Mercedes have these things on their 4, 6 and 8 cylinder engines at nearly every tier.

I suppose they could have not designed them that way, but that would result in what they perceive to be an inferior product.

It's life. They'll survive.

 

[dalab]

but that would result in what they perceive to be an inferior product.

Like the C63s? Seems that they don't perceive anything, the buyers do.

It's life. They'll survive.

You constantly downplay something that at a company level is very serious, normally not everyone "survives" and because of things like this heads fall, jobs and millions of dollars are lost.

You are one of the largest companies in the world and the oldest, not a startup, and you have been blaming everyone else for your problems for last 3 years, losing half a million annual sales in that period.

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

Like the C63s? Seems that they don't perceive anything, the buyers do.

I mean I'm not sure that many buyers think the Integrated Starter-Generator is a bad thing.

You constantly downplay something that at a company level is very serious, normally not everyone "survives" and because of things like this heads fall, jobs and millions of dollars are lost.

I'm sure there will be losses. Will people at Mercedes lose jobs because Bosch were unable to meet their allocations? Maybe, but I think it's more likely that heads will roll at Bosch, if anywhere.

You are one of the largest companies in the world and the oldest, not a startup, and you have been blaming everyone else for your problems for last 3 years, losing half a million annual sales in that period.

Every major manufacturer; Mercedes included has suffered significant losses due to worse things. Stop being dramatic. VWAG has diesel gate, Toyota, Kia-Hyundai, Honda have all had various recalls totalling in the tens of thousands. Heck even BMW had to recall 150,000 cars due to faulty fuel pumps.

What's worse? Having to recall substandard vehicles, or delaying the launch of a vehicle due to supply constraints?

 

[Matski]

You carry on with the assumption that suppliers can meet their commitments and there isn't a whole lot you can do if they don't

This isn't how they work. They will have departments full of people performing supplier risk management activities in order to make as few assumptions as possible. If they've got an unmitigated risk with a major supplier that's a big problem and as much their **** up as the suppliers... and I guarantee internally they will be acknowledging this.

I've noticed since the pandemic supplier relationship managers have been much more proactive in interrogating their supply chain whenever there's an event in the news that could affect supply, Red Sea shipping will no doubt be the next one.

 

[Serpens]

In the past, manufacturers have typically admitted they need to revise their procurement strategies when stop sales or extreme delays occur. BMW did this in the late 2010s when Bosch failed them.

Mercedes asked Bosch to build this very complex, unique 48v battery design. This project launched during the pandemic and then they faced a very rapid ramp up. I think Mercedes and Bosch both were aware of the risk involved but it doesn’t sound like Bosch was entirely forthcoming about their issues prior to launch. I’m not necessarily surprised by this if true given Bosch is likely incurring significant penalties as a result of this. Mercedes will be recouping some (definitely not all, of course) of the lost money from this.

 

[dalab]

What's worse? Having to recall substandard vehicles, or delaying the launch of a vehicle due to supply constraints?

That question answers itself, a recall for a part versus not having the car on the market that will give you the highest profits and sales? Production lines with finished cars waiting for a part?
You finished your stock of the previous W213 and GLC and now?....

That can happen to anyone, it's clear, the point is that everything is happening very often to Mercedes, but not to the others and it's not a minor issue.

 

[Merc1]

Yawn.

M

 

[Luca]

 

[PsychDoc]

Do any of them come with batteries?

 

[mini_cooper4]

Do any of them come with batteries?

Leaked pictures of the photo shoot showed them pushing the cars by hand.

 

[HUTSUTAo]

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