Compact class in the fast lane
MERCEDES-BENZ With more than two million passenger cars sold in one year for the first time, Mercedes-Benz achieved its sixth record year in succession in 2016. The globally successful compact car family with the A- and B-Class, CLA and CLA Shooting Brake, as well as the GLA crossover SUV, which recently underwent a "fitness cure", played a major role in this. The expansion and rejuvenation of the product range are key [...]
The expansion and rejuvenation of the product range are key factors in the continuing market success of Mercedes-Benz. The models of the so-called compact class are exemplary for this. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: "Since the market launch of the new generation of the A-Class in 2012, we have sold more than two million compacts worldwide. And in Western Europe, the average age of A-Class customers has fallen by more than 13 years compared to 2011. I see four main reasons for the success of our compact cars: diversity, driving pleasure, innovation and our modern design language."
Comprehensive offer
No other premium manufacturer has such a comprehensive compact car range: five body models, front-wheel drive and 4MATIC, manual or dual-clutch transmissions, a variety of gasoline and diesel engines, plus electric or natural gas drive in the B-Class and Mercedes-AMG models. The compact models have already been delivered to customers in 170 markets around the globe. They are manufactured in plants in Europe (Germany, Hungary and Finland) and China, and in future also in Mexico.
Rejuvenation
The first B-Class of the current generation rolled off the production line in 2011. This was followed by the A-Class, CLA, GLA and CLA Shooting Brake. This was followed in 2014 by the B-Class Electric Drive, the first purely electric vehicle from Mercedes-Benz. Since the introduction of the current compact car models, the Mercedes-Benz brand has become noticeably younger. The average age of European drivers of the current A-Class generation, for example, is now more than 13 years lower than that of the predecessor series.
Many switchers
Almost every second driver of a Mercedes-Benz in the current compact class in Western Europe previously drove a vehicle from the competition. The " conquest rate" of the A-Class in Western Europe is even around 70 percent. Mercedes-Benz still has big plans for the compact cars with the star: "We are convinced that this success story will continue. That is why we will expand our compact car family - from the current five to eight attractive members," says Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AGand responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales since January 1, 2017.
