Mercedes 2010 Annual Report Download - page 129

The Divisions | Mercedes-Benz Cars | 125
Investment in the global production network. The targeted
expansion of the international production network is helping us
increase our competitiveness, reduce our susceptibility to exchange-
rate fluctuations, and optimally benefit from growth opportunities.
At the same time, substantial capital investment in our German
plants underscores the fact that our German locations remain the
heart of our production network.
In October 2010, we celebrated the topping-out ceremony for our
new car plant in Kecskemét, Hungary, after just one year of con-
struction. Plans call for the Kecskemét facility to begin manufactur-
ing two models of the A-Class and B-Class successor generations
in 2012 in a production network with the Rastatt plant. To this end,
Daimler is investing €800 million in the construction of the plant
in Hungary and €600 million in the implementation of upgrades at
the primary facility in Rastatt. We have also taken the initial step
of expanding the production capacity of Beijing Benz Automotive Co.,
Ltd. (BBAC) in Beijing to 100,000 units per year to meet the rising
demand for our products in China. In addition to the C-Class sedan,
BBAC now also manufactures a long-wheelbase version of the
E-Class exclusively for the Chinese market. Production of the latter
vehicle began in May 2010. Key projects in Germany in the year
under review included preparations for production of the new SLK
in Bremen, the establishment of manufacturing facilities for new
six and eight-cylinder gasoline engines in Bad Cannstatt, and expan-
sion of engine assembly operations at MDC Power GmbH in Kölleda.
Many awards for Mercedes-Benz automobiles. The measures
taken to further enhance quality proved very successful in the year
under review – a fact that was confirmed by external studies as well.
In the most recent J. D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study,
82,000 purchasers of model-year 2010 vehicles were surveyed 90
days after receiving their vehicles. We achieved our best results in
this US survey since 1990: The C-Class finished first in its segment,
while the E-Class sedan, E-Class coupe, and S-Class all finished sec-
ond in their respective vehicle segments.
Mercedes-Benz was also honored by several organizations for out-
standing achievements in the areas of safety, design, value retention
and service in 2010. Mercedes-Benz workshops, for example,
received the highest possible marks in a test conducted by Germany’s
ADAC automobile association and the Stiftung Warentest consumer
advocacy group, as well as in tests conducted by other organizations.
The best or nothing. The Mercedes-Benz brand is one of Daimler’s
most valuable assets. It is therefore not surprising that the prestigious
Interbrand rankings for 2010 once again named Mercedes-Benz
the most valuable premium car brand in the world and the most valu-
able German brand. We will do everything we can to improve this
position even further. Accomplishing that goal will require not only
fascinating products but also a self-confident brand. That is why
we introduced a carefully refined brand image in 2010 – one that is
based on our exceptional history. We invented the automobile and
we have been shaping the industry with our ground breaking innova-
tions for the past 125 years. Many technologies that are now stan-
dard in the automotive industry can be traced back to our company.
They include the safety cell, ABS, airbags, ESP
®
, the latest techno-
logical highlights such as PRE-SAFE
®
and state-of-the-art driver assis-
tance systems such as ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection.
This heritage by itself is enough to make customers expect more from
Mercedes-Benz. For us, that means delivering the best product to
our customers, no matter what the segment or system – today and
in the future.
Own factory team for the Formula 1 series; DTM winners. In its
first year as a Formula 1 factory team, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS
finished fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, while drivers
Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished seventh and
ninth respectively in the Drivers’ Championship. McLaren race cars
equipped with Mercedes-Benz engines captured four Grand Prix
victories during the season. Our Formula 1 team is working hard to
develop a competitive vehicle that will allow it to battle for success
in both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships in 2011. The
2010 German Touring Car Masters (DTM) season was one of the
most successful for Mercedes-Benz in the history of the series. The
C-Class came out on top in nine out of 11 races. After the ninth
race, it was already clear that only one of our three Mercedes driv-
ers would be able to capture the title. Eventually Paul Di Resta won
the championship with a total of three race victories.
The ultimate luxury coupe: the new generation of the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class.