E’s not so good
Newswheel staff :: 15 December 2005 :: Filed under Saloon, Mercedes Benz, Mercedes Benz E-Class, Europe & UK, US
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Mercedes’ sickly cash cow
Mercedes-Benz doesn’t build ‘em like it used to. On that most car enthusiasts can agree. So, it’s not altogether surprising to hear that sales of the underwhelming E Class have fallen by nearly 30 per cent in 2005. But is it poor quality or dreary desing that’s to blame?
If there’s a single vehicle that defines Mercedes-Benz’s fall from grace as the maker of the world’s best engineered cars it’s the E-Class. Specifically, it was the launch of the awful rust bucket that is the W210 E-Class in the mid 90s that signaled there was something rotten in M-B’s Denmark. As for the current W211 model, despite early claims to the contrary from both the motoring press and Mercedes, it’s not much better. So, here’s the bad news for Mercedes-Benz. It seems customers are finally waking up – and walking away. Sales so far in 2005 of the E have fallen by 28.4 per cent compared with the same period in 2004. Consequently, the E finds itself in third place behind both the BMW 5-Series and the Audi A6.
Making matters worse, M-B’s difficulties with the E are also reflected in sales of another core product, the C-Class. It’s similarly bring up the German premium compact saloon rear behind the all-conquering BMW 3-Series and the Audi A4.
However, factor in the results of a new study that shows most car buyers assume a satisfactory level of quality from any new vehicle and hence largely make decisions based on exterior and interior design and you have a rather different explanation for poor sales of both the C and the E.
What’s more, those struggling saloons are really only a small part of the current M-B story. The company has recently launched a staggering fleet of strikingly-styled vehicles spanning just about every sector imaginable from the entry level A-Class to an all-new range-topping S-Class and covering every segment from medium and large SUVs to four-door coupes in between. And almost every one to widespread acclaim. M-B may not make the best cars in the world anymore. But it probably doesn’t matter.
Linkage:
Mercedes sales in trouble
Design makes a difference – Autoblog
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