The first locally produced Mercedes-Benz GLK compact SUV has rolled off the line at the Beijing production plant of Beijing Benz Automotive (BBAC).
This follows the June 2011 agreement between Daimler and Chinese joint venture partner BAIC to further expand their cooperation in China with various projects, including the GLK.
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Manufacturing chief Wolfgang Bernhard said: “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, said: “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.
“Nothing represents our long-term commitment to China more tangibly than the production of vehicles in China itself: The localised 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 passenger cars sold in China. The start of production of the GLK is another important milestone towards this goal.”
A long-wheel-base E-Class and C-Class are also made in China where Mercedes also has a new engine plant and R&D Centre.
The GLK has sold over 20,000 units since Chinese launch in 2008.
Mercedes-Benz sold 168,940 vehicles overall in China (including Hong Kong) from January through November 2011, up 29.9 year on year. In 2015, the company aims to sell over 300,000.
