Mercedes 2008 Annual Report Download - page 88

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Unit sales
Mercedes-Benz Cars launched six new model generations and
two completely new models in 2008, and therefore enters the
extremely difficult year 2009 with an up-to-date and competitive
model range. Unit sales will be stimulated by the GLK, our com-
pact sport-utility vehicle, which has only been available since the
end of 2008. In the spring of 2009, we will launch the E-Class
sedan, our most important new model of the year. This car will
appeal to customers with numerous innovations relating to the
key brand attributes of safety and comfort. The station-wagon ver-
sion of the E-Class will follow in the autumn. We will also launch
the successors to the CLK coupe and convertible. The attractive-
ness of our model range will be further enhanced with the new
generations of the S-Class and the GL. In parallel, within the frame-
work of our “Road to the Future” initiative, we will continuously
expand our model range in the year 2009 and the following years
with the addition of drive systems that are especially environ-
mentally friendly and fuel efficient. In the year 2009, this includes
BlueEFFICIENCY models and the S 400 BlueHYBRID, the world’s
most economical luxury sedan with a gasoline engine. Another
milestone on the way to sustainable mobility is our new, extre-
mely fuel-efficient but powerful four-cylinder diesel engine, which
has been available since autumn 2008 in the C 250 CDI Blue-
EFFICIENCY and will now be successively offered in other models.
For the smart fortwo, we will utilize additional sales potential in
2009 with launches in the growth markets of China and Brazil.
With our attractive models, we assume that we will continue
to compete effectively in the coming years. But we cannot avoid
the expected weakness of key sales markets and in particular
of those market segments important to us. Mercedes-Benz Cars’
total unit sales in the year 2009 will therefore be below the level
of the year 2008. We anticipate decreases primarily in the markets
most affected by the financial and economic crisis: the United
States, Western Europe and Japan. Unit sales in the emerging mar-
kets should have a certain stabilizing effect, however.
As a result of the weakness of demand in major markets, we anti-
cipate a significant decrease in unit sales for the Daimler Trucks
division in 2009. The magnitude of this decrease and the time
and extent of our sales markets’ recovery are hard to assess from
today’s perspective. But with our Global Excellence program,
we have a package of actions that allows us to further improve our
vehicles’ competitiveness also in difficult times. The most im-
portant instrument is our Management of Cycles; it includes flexible
production capacities and working-time models as well as global
procurement activities and global production networks, with which
we utilize the advantages offered by our various production sites
around the world. An additional factor is that Daimler Trucks has
an extremely competitive range of products, including our eco-
nomical and environmentally friendly trucks with BLUETEC tech-
nology as presented at the IAA International Motor Show, such as
the new Actros for European markets, the Cascadia heavy truck in
North America and the further developed Mitsubishi Fuso Super
Great in Japan.
Our main focus remains on the consistent further development of
fuel-efficient and low-emission drive systems. In regional terms,
we want to expand our presence in the emerging markets of Asia
and in Eastern Europe, thus utilizing additional growth potential.
The Mercedes-Benz Vans unit will be unable to equal the high
prior-year level of unit sales in 2009. This year will feature shrinking
markets, a tendency towards overcapacities and intense com-
petition also for vans. Due to the good market acceptance of the
Sprinter and the Vito, however, we expect to defend our leading
market position in Western Europe.
Daimler Buses also assumes that it will maintain its globally
leading position for buses above 8 tons with innovative and high-
quality new products. However, its unit sales will probably not
reach the level of 2008 due to the changed economic conditions.
Especially in the markets of Mexico, Turkey and South America,
demand could fall as a result of more difficult refinancing. In
Europe, travel coaches will be particularly affected by the financial
and economic crisis, whereas we anticipate a more stable deve-
lopment for urban buses.
The Daimler Financial Services division continues to pursue
the goal of providing optimal support for the unit sales of
the vehicle brands. For this purpose, it is continually expanding
its product range of leasing, financing, fleet-management
and insurance products. In addition, Daimler Financial Services
constantly strives to improve customer and dealer satisfaction.
On the basis of our assumptions concerning the development
of automotive markets and the divisions’ planning, we expect the
Daimler Group’s unit sales to decrease significantly in 2009,
followed by a slight increase in 2010.