Expectations are high. The Germans see a +15% increase in the luxury car market on the horizon near Beijing. And they decided to plan accordingly.
Daimler Mercedes-Benz Group plans to open 75 new dealerships this year, said Nicholas Speeks, the group's head of sales for China. The move is part of the big maneuvers in the fight for the conquest of the largest marketplace in the world for motor vehicles.
“In the past we have only focused on Beijing, Shanghai and other markets along the coast. Now is the time to expand the network,” said Speeks. The automaker plans to put 2 billion euros of investments in China on the plate over the next two years. The goal is to increase sales by a third to more than 300 units a year by 2015. If Mercedes succeeds, the People's Republic will become its main source of revenue, currently in third place after Germany and the United States. United.
The network expansion plan aims to have 300 points of sale, in more than 150 cities, by the end of the year. In addition to the Mercedes shops, the manufacturer operates around 90 Smart dealers.
The German group wants to launch 2015 new or updated models in China by 20. The spearhead will be the E-Class sedan, specially redesigned for the eastern market, which the company will officially present at the Chengdu auto show in the southwest of the country.
But it's not just about shops. Mercedes plans to expand its production capacity in Beijing in a bid to make cars cheaper and increase appeal in China.
