Mercedes 2013 Annual Report Download - page 148

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With sales of 1,900 smart fortwo electric drive2 cars and
a market share of about 30%, the smart brand was the clear
market leader for electric vehicles in Germany in 2013. The
electric smart has also proved its worth in the car2go system.
The electric lineup consisting of the fortwo coupe and fortwo
convertible has been expanded to include the smart ebike.
The bike’s award-winning design and highly efficient and high-
performance drive-system package enables it to occupy an
exceptional position in this competitive field. The smart ebike
also underscores the smart brand’s goal of redefining urban
mobility above and beyond the use of conventional automobiles.
The smart brand performed well in 2013, recording total
sales of 98,200 smart fortwo cars in the fortwo’s last full
year of production before the model changeover.
AMG – cutting-edge technology and fascination. Impressive
results in motorsports and a unique array of high-performance
vehicles continue to underscore AMG’s reputation as the success-
ful performance brand from Mercedes-Benz. The AMG brand
promise of “Driving Performance” has been a guarantee for the
most sophisticated technology and pure driving fascination
for more than 45 years now. The SLS AMG3 super sports car
developed independently by Mercedes-AMG has been a brand
icon since its initial presentation in 2009. The SLS AMG model
is coveted all over the world. This is due not least to the car’s
motorsports success and to the great variety the series offers.
AMG has also impressively demonstrated its innovative
capabilities with the SLS AMG Electric Drive4 super sports
coupe, which boasts a unique drive system.
As part of the “AMG Performance 50” growth strategy, we
are expanding the AMG product range and positioning the brand
in new market segments. For example, AMG has three new
models in the compact segment: the sporty A 45 AMG5, a four-
door coupe and a compact SUV. The new model variants enable
Mercedes-AMG to offer its customers more scope for indi-
vidualizing vehicles than ever before. Various AMG automobiles
are also available as exceptionally exclusive and powerful
The new S-Class – aspiration: the world’s best automobile.
In mid-May 2013, we presented the new S-Class to a global
audience in Hamburg. The model is a cutting-edge engineering
achievement for both Mercedes-Benz and automotive devel-
opment in general. Its launch marked the high point of our 2013
product offensive, and its extraordinary fuel economy and
outstanding aerodynamics ensure environmentally friendly per-
formance. This is especially true of the S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID1,
which we presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September
2013. With its innovative driver assistance and safety systems
from the Mercedes-Benz “INTELLIGENT DRIVE” program, the
S-Class is also a pioneering vehicle on the way to autonomous
driving. No other vehicle embodies the Mercedes-Benz brand
promise of “the best or nothing” as clearly as the S-Class.
The new luxury sedan has generated a huge amount of interest:
20,000 orders for the S-Class had already been received even
before the new model was officially launched.
E see page 108
The new Mercedes-Benz GLA – an all-round talent. The SUV
from our new compact-car family combines superior everyday
driving performance with off-road mobility. A flexible interior and
high-quality appointments that show loving attention to detail
clearly position the GLA as a premium compact SUV. The new
GLA completes the extensive range of Mercedes-Benz SUVs.
At the same time, it is the fourth of a total of five new compact
models from the brand. The GLA celebrated its world pre-
miere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013. Deliveries
to customers will begin in March 2014.
The smart fourjoy: forerunner of a new generation. The
smart fourjoy show car, which was unveiled in the fall of 2013,
offered a preview of the new smart design idiom. The brand
will launch two new models in 2014: the successor to the smart
fortwo, which will retain the predecessor model’s unique
vehicle length of only 2.69 meters, and a new four-seat smart
forfour, which offers unprecedented interior spaciousness
in this vehicle class.
The four-door CLA Coupe features a sporty design as well as dynamic handling and performance.