Mercedes is considering introducing fuel-efficient variants of its main model lines with no price premium.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
According to Automobilwoche, Daimler will show two fuel-efficient versions of the C-class at Geneva next week, and it will introduce around 20 such models during the next year. The issue is whether they should cost more than the versions they replace or not.
Mercedes also has to decide whether to adopt a separate naming system or badge for the model variants.
Mercedes is relatively late to this party. In Germany, BMW, Audi and Volkswagen already have low emission models on sale, as does Renault (with its ‘eco’ line) in France and Seat in Spain. For Mercedes to differentiate itself it may have to come down to price.
Development chief Thomas Weber told Automotive News that he would like to see no price premium for certain technologies. However, he said that where technology is already on offer at a premium, Mercedes may be able to undercut that premium. For example, start-stop systems would be optionally available next summer in the A- and B-Class lines.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData
