The success of Mercedes GLK in China convinced Daimler’s top brass to start making in locally in partnership with Chinese Joint Venture partner BAIC.
The GLK Crossover has been a very successful model for Mercedes, especially in China where only in 2011 they sold over 20,000 units of the car.
Producing the GLK in China not only takes sales to a whole new level, it also enhances Daimler Northeast Asia’s overall performance. Mercedes-Benz sold 168,940 vehicles overall in China (including Hong Kong) from January through November 2011, an increase of 29.9 percent compared to the same time-frame in 2010.
Daimler is targeting more than 300,000 Mercedes-Benz passenger cars sales in China by 2015.
Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, member of the Daimler Board of Management, Manufacturing and Procurement Mercedes-Benz Cars & Mercedes-Benz Vans, explains: “The start of our local GLK production in China exemplifies our strategy of global expansion of production close to the market. We are thus supporting our sales success in our regional markets also from the production side, an important contribution to the Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy.”Ulrich Walker, Chairman & CEO of Daimler Northeast Asia, adds: “The GLK has proved to be enormously popular with customers here in China, so it is an ideal addition to our lineup of locally-produced vehicles.” Emphasizing the importance of the Chinese market, Mr. Walker continued: “Nothing represents our long-term commitment to China more tangibly than the production of vehicles in China itself: The localized production of further Mercedes-Benz models is an important element of our growth strategy for the Chinese market. As early as 2015 we expect to locally produce two-thirds of all Mercedes-Benz passenger cars sold in China. The start of production of the GLK is another important milestone towards this goal.”“The GLK adds to the locally-produced Long-wheel-base E-Class and new C-Class, and complements other current investments in BBAC, including the new engine plant and R&D Center. We’re also planning local production of additional Mercedes-Benz models,” explains Frank Deiss, President & CEO of Beijing Benz Automotive Co.
