It is not only the largest car market in the world, China can also be the most confusing for marketing departments as age profiles go out of the window.
Lamborghini reported a couple of years ago that the average age of its buyers in the country was 29 and now Mercedes has revealed that purchasers of its flagship S-Class in China are 15 years younger than elsewhere in the world – and it is often their first car.
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The Daimler brand now delivers almost every second S-Class to customers in China and a country comparison reveals that the youngest are in their early 40s, as compared with mid-50s in Europe and the US.
Given the preference of Chinese customers for ample room in the rear, Mercedes-Benz offers the luxury sedan in China only in long-wheelbase form. About 35% are ordered specificically to be chauffeur-driven.
Chinese customers also specify the rear seat entertainment system which features two large displays in the backrests of the front seats and the air balance package while one in four opts for the massage function.
A year after launch, Mercedes-Benz has already delivered over 100,000 S-Class worldwide – a selling rate never achieved before with its long-running top luxury model.
Since the start of this year it has sold 75,391, twice as many as in the same period last year.
