Mercedes-Benz rolls out LWB W205 C-Class in China
We often complain of a lack of variety in the Malaysian car market, but reality is that despite our often over-inflated sense of importance, Malaysia is not nearly as important a market to car makers as we would like to think it is.
Simply put, our market lacks volume, and when it comes to negotiating specs and prices with headquarters, the folks from our respective local offices simply do not have the same bargaining power as their counterparts from bigger markets. In Malaysia, any foreign brand would be over the moon if they were to sell in excess of 10,000 cars per annum, which is an exceedingly small number in the grand scheme of things.
As such, cars for the Malaysian market is often offered on a take it or leave it basis. Put yourself in the shoes of the brand principals – are you likely to give as much attention to a market that can move less than 10,000 cars per year versus one that does the same volume in a month? The answer is immediately obvious.
At the other end of the spectrum, we have China, a market so big that its domestic volumes are pretty much self-sustaining. China’s annual sales volume numbers are far in excess of ten million units a year, and the result is that the Chinese market can pretty much demand whatever specification and equipment that they want. Even in an era where manufacturers push for volumes on a global scale, producing dedicated models that cater specifically for the Chinese market and nowhere else remain entirely profitable ventures.
The Chinese market loves a bit of room at the back to stretch their legs, and many car makers produce special long wheelbase models that cater specifically to that market. In Malaysia, we get the long-wheelbase Mercedes S-Class; in China, they get the long-wheelbase version of pretty much everything.
This week, a long wheelbase version of the Mercedes-Benz W205 C-Class rolls off the lines of the Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd. (BBAC) plant in China. Like all automotive plants in China, the BBAC plant is a joint venture between Daimler AG and a local Chinese partner, in this case BAIC Motor. Last year, the plant was responsible for putting together 120,000 vehicles, accounting for half of Merc’s total sales volume in the People’s Republic.
Global production of the C-Class is concentrated into four production hubs, with BBAC being the fourth after Germany, South Africa, and USA. The Bremen plant in Germany is responsible for guiding global production strategy and volumes, as well as training key employees in other plants for effective transfer of processes. The China plant will be unique in being the only among the four to make the C-Class in its long wheelbase variant.
Markus Schäfer, Divisional Board Member Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain Management: “The start of the C-Class’ production in Beijing marks the final jigsaw piece in creating a flexible and highly efficient production network on four continents. Such a global ramp up within less than six month is unparalleled in the premium segment so far.”
Compared to the regular C-Class, the LWB C-Class gets an extra 8cm of space between the axles. Demonstrating its focus in becoming a chauffeur-driven vehicle, the front passenger seat is fitted with adjustment controls that are accessible by its rear passengers. Its infotainment touchpad, which comes with handwriting recognition, is enhanced for the Chinese market to include recognition of Chinese characters.
The new long wheelbase C-Class is scheduled for its Chinese market launch in September. There’s no official mention of its engine line-up, but like elsewhere in the world, it should mirror that of the E-Class, featuring 2.0-litre turbo engines at 181hp (C 200 L) and 208hp (C 260 L), and possibly a 3.0-litre V6 with 268hp (C 400 L). Engines powering the China market C-Class are manufactured locally by the BBAC plant, the first ever Mercedes-Benz engine plant outside Germany.
KON
Pictures: Official Mercedes-Benz release.
