MERCEDES IS REORIENTING ITSELF – WITH A VIEW TO CHINA
Mercedes-Benz is at a turning point. CEO Ola
Källenius has therefore announced an ambitious program designed to make the company more efficient and redefine its position on the global market. This will significantly reduce costs per vehicle, while simultaneously reinventing the brand. Instead of being a pure luxury car manufacturer, Mercedes will in future primarily stand for "exceptional" – for vehicles that are more than status symbols and consciously stand out from the crowd.
The Swede, Källenius, is under considerable pressure. He is currently being accused of several missteps: inappropriate model choices, questionable
design , too few cylinders in key model series, overcapacity at the plants, and unplanned additional expenditures. These burdens have limited the company's flexibility – and explain why the CEO must now take particularly decisive countermeasures.
The strategic focus is clearly on
China . This is not only Mercedes' largest sales market, but also the pacesetter for future developments. Chinese buyers value innovation, design, and digital connectivity – features that Mercedes is increasingly integrating into its vehicles. Thus, the "special" is not sought in pomp or excess, but in a blend of exclusive
technology , striking design, and customized services.
The realignment is even more evident in
production . The company states: "
We are becoming even more Chinese. " The goal is ambitious: In the medium to long term, up to 100 percent of the so-called factor costs for locally manufactured models should be incurred directly in the People's Republic. This is not yet the case today, as a number of components continue to be imported from the West. Costs per vehicle can quickly reach several thousand euros. But these flows of goods could dry up over time – with the result that value creation will increasingly be diverted from Europe and relocated to China.
For Mercedes, this step means that the desired cost reduction can best be achieved where economies of scale and a strong supplier network converge – and that is in China. At the same time, the company is securing its access to important future technologies such as batteries and electronic components, which are often more expensive and difficult to obtain in Europe.
With this dual focus—cost discipline and a new brand promise—Mercedes aims to embark on a fresh start in the coming years. The company no longer aims to be just the classic luxury brand from
Stuttgart , but a global provider offering something special: vehicles that impress with their technology, quality, and uniqueness. A mission that the company is willing and must achieve.
But this new planned path carries risks. The more Mercedes engages with China, the greater its dependence on a market that is not always economically and politically predictable. For Källenius, it is nevertheless the logical step: Only if Mercedes simultaneously becomes more efficient and recharges its brand promise will the company have a chance of asserting itself in global competition. This "special" quality will thus become the new core of Mercedes – and China a crucial partner on this path.
Mercedes richtet sich neu aus: Statt Luxus soll das „Besondere“ im Mittelpunkt stehen – mit stärkerem Fokus auf China, trotz Kritik an Källenius.
mbpassion.de
