On Thursday, the joint venture of Fujian Benz held a ceremony in Fuzhou to mark the opening of its R&D center, where a group of invited journalists had a guided tour. Costing half a billion Yuan, the R&D center comprises a design office, whole vehicle and parts testing labs, a proving ground, and a workshop … Read more
Xiamen King Long Exposed Replicating Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
November 6th, 2012 | Posted in Daimler | Mercedes Benz | New CarsIt’s no secret that the bus manufacturer Xiamen King Long longs to be a passenger car maker. Both a hatchback and MPV carrying its logo have been spied several times. And its cross-town affiliate, Golden Dragon Bus, has been exposed developing SUVs. Yet, without a government permit, it is unknown when or if they can … Read more
Ground Broken on BBAC’s New Plant for Producing Mercedes-Benz Compacts
September 26th, 2012 | Posted in BAIC | Daimler | Mercedes BenzThe foundation stone was laid for "BBAC Phase II" in Beijing on Tuesday, a plant for building Mercedes-Benz compact models based on Daimler’s MFA platform. The new factory will expand the joint venture’s production base in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Zone, which already includes a vehicle plant (making Mercedes-Benz C-, E-, and GLK-Class), an engine plant … Read more
Beijing Benz to Launch Long-Wheelbase Mercedes-Benz C-Class
August 10th, 2012 | Posted in Daimler | Mercedes Benz | New CarsTrying to catch up with BMW and Audi, the passenger car joint venture of BAIC (Beiqi) and Mercedes-Benz prepares to release a China-only next generation C-Class which will have an extended wheelbase. Internally called V205 (while the standard fifth gen is called W205), the stretched version is to have a wheelbase of about 2900mm, compared … Read more
Daimler AG has reached agreement with LSH (Lei Shing Hong) over the change of ownership structure of Mercedes-Benz China Sales, paving the way for integrating its dealership networks in China. The automaker successfully increased its stake in the sales joint venture from 51% to 75%, while LSH’s share was reduced to 25% from 49%. Mercedes-Benz … Read more
BAIC E130/150 Hatchback, a Mercedes-Benz B-Class Lookalike, Goes on Sale for 8,500$-13,730$
March 20th, 2012 | Posted in BAIC | Mercedes Benz | New Cars
On Monday, BAIC (Beijing Auto, Beiqi) released the E-series hatchback, E130/150, which resembles the Mercedes-Benz B-Class in styling. Prices range from 53,800 Yuan (8,500 US dollars), for a 1.3L MT, to 86,800 Yuan (13,730 US dollars), for a 1.5L AT. At the market launch ceremony held in the 798 art district in Beijing, BAIC pronounced … Read more
Fujian Daimler Renamed as Fujian Benz, to Double Dealer Count
March 8th, 2012 | Posted in Daimler | Mercedes BenzOn March 1, Fujian Daimler, maker of Mercedes-Bentz vans, announced in Fuzhou, where it is based, that its company name was officially changed to Fujian Benz. The move was based on the observation that Mercedes-Benz, often called just "Benz" by Chinese as in "Beijing Benz," is more recognizable a premium vehicle brand than Daimler in … Read more
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter from Fujian Daimler Goes on Sale for $65,680–$71,965
November 24th, 2011 | Posted in Daimler | Mercedes Benz | New CarsFujian Daimler, the commercial joint venture of Fujian Auto and Daimler AG, released the Sprinter van on Nov. 21, the opening day of the 2011 Guangzhou Auto Show. Available in three basic models with seating capacities ranging from 14 to 21, the Sprinter is the latest addition to Fujian-Daimler’s van lineup, which until now included … Read more
German Luxury Car Makers Post Big Q1 China Gains
April 13th, 2011 | Posted in Audi | BMW | Mercedes Benz | SalesAudi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz all posted record first-quarter sales in China, growing ahead of the local market which expanded about 8% in the first three months. Although it continued to outsell the other two brands in China, Audi gained at a slower pace, of 24.6% on year, with Q1 deliveries reaching 64,112 units. China is … Read more
Watch Kobe Bryant’s “Big, in the City” Smart Commercial
April 4th, 2011 | Posted in Daimler | Marketing | Mercedes BenzWe reported in February that Mercedes-Benz signed Kobe Bryant to promote Smart mini cars in China (see our post). The first of a series of TV commercials themed "Big, in the City " and directed by Dave Meyer went online at sina.com.cn on 28 March featuring Kobe in a car chase in downtown LA (shown … Read more
Mercedes-Benz China Signs Kobe Bryant as Smart Ambassador
February 20th, 2011 | Posted in Daimler | Marketing | Mercedes BenzKobe Bryant signed a three-year deal with Mercedes-Benz on Feb. 17 to promote the Smart micro car to consumers in China where he is more popular than Yao Ming. As part of the deal, Kobe will appear in a new Smart TV commercial themed "big, in the city" and directed by Dave Meyers specifically for … Read more
Growth of Luxury Car Sales Doubled That of the Overall Market in 2010
January 14th, 2011 | Posted in Audi | BMW | Mercedes Benz | Sales | VolvoDespite government measures discouraging buying big and expensive cars, sales of luxury vehicles continued to soar last year in China, gaining about 70% to over 700,000 units, while the overall auto market grew 32.37% to reach 18.06 million units. (With no consensus on what " luxury" means for cars in China, we regard any sedan … Read more
Mercedes-Benz Sales in China Tripled in July
August 9th, 2010 | Posted in Daimler | Mercedes Benz | SalesNew car sales of Mercedes-Benz China reached yet another record monthly high in July. Data from Daimler AG show that consumers in mainland China bought nearly 14,500 vehicles under the Mercedes-Benz, AMG, Maybach, and Smart brands last month, 201% more than July 2009. For the first seven months, sales gained 134% to 74,070 units, surpassing … Read more
Mercedes-Benz to Build the GLK-Class in China, Double Capacity
June 30th, 2010 | Posted in Daimler | Mercedes Benz | New Cars | SalesThe GLK-Class compact luxury SUV will be the next Mercedes-Benz car to be built in China, according to sources within Beijing Benz Automotive Co., the passenger vehicle joint venture of Beijing Auto and Daimler AG. Beijing Benz has been producing two sedans: the C-Class and extended E-Class, and looks to further benefit from China’s rapidly … Read more
Mercedes-Benz: Release of Extended E-Class Imminent, Engine Plant Planned
May 31st, 2010 | Posted in BAIC | Daimler | Mercedes Benz | New CarsUpdate on June 18: The long-wheelbase E-class from Beijing Benz is officially released today. For prices and features, visit here. Premiered at the Beijing Motor Show one month ago, the extended Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan rolled off the assembly line of Beijing Benz Automotive Co. (BBAC), a joint venture of Daimler AG and Beijing Auto, on … Read more
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