Joined
·
4,830 Posts
Just the Facts:
NEW YORK — Daimler has not yet decided about the future of the Maybach brand, said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler during a media roundtable discussion here on Tuesday. But Smart is "more feasible today than any time before," he said.
"We are not running at the levels which we planned when we launched the product," Zetsche said when asked about the health of the luxury brand.
He said the automaker sells 300-500 Maybachs per year and that the "whole segment (sells) less than 2,000 units per year."
"How the future of this brand will look like is not decided yet," Zetsche said. "No final decisions yet."
When discussing the future of Maybach, Zetsche said it "might be prudent to exchange views (with other luxury carmakers)" such as Aston Martin.
The Maybach brand has produced some of the most exclusive automobiles in the world, typically with price tags in the $400,000 range.
The EPA says a 2010 Maybach 57 with a 5.5-liter V12 returns 10 mpg in city driving and 16 mpg on the highway and costs $4,948 per year in fuel costs.
On the opposite side of the Daimler product spectrum, tiny Smart is doing well, Zetsche said.
"We are convinced that Smart is more feasible today than any time before," he said. "It's the right product for the right time. We are optimistic about the next generation."
Zetsche said Americans may be ready for smaller A and B segment cars from Mercedes-Benz.
"We are just a few months from now launching the first of four family members of the new generation of compact cars from Mercedes," he said. "
We can tap new customer segments within the compact car segment. That includes new regions, as well as the United States. It's not finally decided, but it's likely that all four of these vehicles could see the United States market as well. We see a vast opportunity in this regard. Even though I don't think the U.S. market will turn upside-down, there is more emphasis on compact cars than 10-15 years ago."
During the wide-ranging discussion, Zetsche also complained that the automaker "cannot fulfill demand for the (Mercedes-Benz) C-Class family."
Source
- Daimler has not yet decided about the future of the Maybach brand, says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler. But Smart is "more feasible today than any time before," he said.
- Zetsche said Maybach sales are between 300-500 units per year and that "we are not running at the levels which we planned when we launched the product."
- But he described Smart as "the right product for the right time."
NEW YORK — Daimler has not yet decided about the future of the Maybach brand, said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler during a media roundtable discussion here on Tuesday. But Smart is "more feasible today than any time before," he said.
"We are not running at the levels which we planned when we launched the product," Zetsche said when asked about the health of the luxury brand.
He said the automaker sells 300-500 Maybachs per year and that the "whole segment (sells) less than 2,000 units per year."
"How the future of this brand will look like is not decided yet," Zetsche said. "No final decisions yet."
When discussing the future of Maybach, Zetsche said it "might be prudent to exchange views (with other luxury carmakers)" such as Aston Martin.
The Maybach brand has produced some of the most exclusive automobiles in the world, typically with price tags in the $400,000 range.
The EPA says a 2010 Maybach 57 with a 5.5-liter V12 returns 10 mpg in city driving and 16 mpg on the highway and costs $4,948 per year in fuel costs.
On the opposite side of the Daimler product spectrum, tiny Smart is doing well, Zetsche said.
"We are convinced that Smart is more feasible today than any time before," he said. "It's the right product for the right time. We are optimistic about the next generation."
Zetsche said Americans may be ready for smaller A and B segment cars from Mercedes-Benz.
"We are just a few months from now launching the first of four family members of the new generation of compact cars from Mercedes," he said. "
We can tap new customer segments within the compact car segment. That includes new regions, as well as the United States. It's not finally decided, but it's likely that all four of these vehicles could see the United States market as well. We see a vast opportunity in this regard. Even though I don't think the U.S. market will turn upside-down, there is more emphasis on compact cars than 10-15 years ago."
During the wide-ranging discussion, Zetsche also complained that the automaker "cannot fulfill demand for the (Mercedes-Benz) C-Class family."
Source
How about the defective sun roof -- that's pretty NOT cheap to fix -- should I go on? 
