Facing the auto industry that will still be "involuted" in 2025, Duan Jianjun, president and CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales and Service Co., Ltd., said that he has always liked to use a couplet to express his mood: "Be cautious when the situation is prosperous, and be calm when the situation is adverse."
This is also the true feeling expressed by Duan Jianjun when he had a New Year's tea party with the media at the beginning of the new year.
On January 10, when Mercedes-Benz released its 2024 annual sales, the Chinese management team of Mercedes-Benz gathered to express "thank you for the recognition" and clarify the "rumors" and "stereotypes", facing the confusing "traffic" topic in 2024, distinguishing truth from falsehood, and setting the record straight.
In 2024, Mercedes-Benz delivered more than 714,000 vehicles in China, once again topping the list of luxury brand sales. It also retained the sales champion in the 1 million-level and above market segment.
It is not easy to achieve this outstanding result. You can understand it by listening to the "traffic topics" surrounding Mercedes-Benz in the past year: "I heard that many stores have withdrawn from the Mercedes-Benz sales system and switched to other brands", "Mercedes-Benz is going to withdraw from electrification", "Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles are 'unbranded vehicles', and the three-electric system has no technical advantages at all"... At the same time, at the launch conferences of new cars of many brands, many Mercedes-Benz models including Maybach became the reference for comparison, and various parameters were put on the big screen for comparison. Some people would say it is as good as Mercedes-Benz, and some would say it is better than Mercedes-Benz.
Mercedes-Benz’s “bosses” answered these “topics” one by one.
"Luxury" is by no means something that can be achieved with just one car or one or two generations of cars.
Duan Jianjun said that Mercedes-Benz neither rejects nor fears being benchmarked or compared.
Because every benchmarking strengthens Mercedes-Benz's luxury recognition and status in the industry. Whether in terms of product technology or service, reasonable benchmarking is actually using Mercedes-Benz standards to promote industry progress and bring positive help to the entire industry. Recently, many peers have also begun to emphasize "standards" at press conferences, which is a trend that Mercedes-Benz is particularly happy to see.
In the process of being compared, "luxury" is the most frequently discussed topic. Mercedes-Benz's understanding of luxury is that "luxury" is by no means something that can be created by just one car or one or two generations of cars. All luxurious and beautiful things must have a story to pass on, all luxurious and beautiful things must be consistent inside and out, and all luxurious and beautiful things must have a lasting style. Luxury requires long-term recognition by everyone and requires a considerable amount of time to accumulate.
At the same time, Mercedes-Benz opposes wrong benchmarking, which is neither reasonable nor fair. In this regard, Mercedes-Benz will not give up making solemn representations, and even use legal weapons to defend the rights and interests of the brand.
Dealer withdrawal and electrification are both fake news
Zhang Yan, senior executive vice president of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales and Service Co., Ltd., clearly stated that Mercedes-Benz's dealer network is very stable and has not undergone large-scale adjustments. The vast majority of dealer groups operate multiple brands, which is also the normal model in the distribution industry.
In such a challenging environment in 2024, Mercedes-Benz has achieved good results, which is inseparable from its strong dealer network and capable dealer team.
It is reported that in 2025, Mercedes-Benz will actively optimize its dealer network, reduce the burden on dealers and improve profitability.
Another fake news is "Mercedes-Benz withdraws from electrification". According to Bi Lisi, Executive Vice President of Sales of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales and Service Co., Ltd., Mercedes-Benz's electrification process and long-term vision of achieving zero emissions have not changed. Mercedes-Benz will maintain strategic focus and tactical flexibility, and take all necessary steps to firmly promote electrification.
At present, Mercedes-Benz has a clear and multi-pronged electric technology path. First, electric off-road. The new pure electric G-Class off-road vehicle to be launched in 2024 is the world's first luxury pure electric hard-core off-road vehicle; second, electric high performance: Mercedes-AMG brand's high-performance electric sports cars and SUVs have started winter testing in northern Sweden. Third, electric energy efficiency: The new pure electric CLA will be launched this year, setting an industry energy efficiency benchmark. It is equipped with Mercedes-Benz's self-developed new architecture MB.OS, and has the industry's first-tier pure visual L2++ full-scene high-level intelligent driving.
According to reports, the new pure electric CLA has just set the world record for the longest electric car driving over 3,700 kilometers in 24 hours, surpassing any previous electric car. In the view of Ou Lifu, senior executive vice president of Mercedes-Benz (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and head of Mercedes-Benz China R&D and Purchasing, this is a very good example to prove that the view that Mercedes-Benz electric cars are "unorthodox cars" and that the three-electric system has no technical advantages is a stereotype.
Tell the story of Mercedes-Benz well, time is the best proof
Duan Jianjun summed up Mercedes-Benz China in 2024 in one sentence, "Every year is difficult, but it passes. Everything is difficult, but it succeeds."
Zhou Juan, Director of Communications and Marketing of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales and Service Co., Ltd., said, "Every year is difficult, but we get through it every year." This is Mercedes-Benz's attitude. We will not glorify the challenges we have experienced in the past year or ignore the difficulties faced in the market development process just because we have achieved some results occasionally. "Everything is difficult but we can achieve it" is the determination of all Mercedes-Benz people.
As for how to view the market landscape in 2025? Duan Jianjun believes that it will definitely be full of challenges and difficulties. The international market is changing rapidly, domestic market demand needs to be further released, and the entire automotive industry is still "involuted". These are issues that every automotive practitioner needs to think about.
And what will Mercedes-Benz do?
Duan Jianjun believes that when the market is good, we should try to run faster than others; when the market is bad, we should try to make fewer mistakes than others. In the face of market competition, we need to maintain our determination and continue to stabilize the pace of business; in the face of the challenge of insufficient overall customer demand, we must be patient and work hard to make good products and serve customers well, continue to create products that are suitable for Chinese customers and meet the "Mercedes-Benz standard", and promote the intelligent upgrade of the entire product line; at the same time, we must implement the "Mercedes-Benz standard" at the service level to better serve customers, retain existing customers, and drive the referral of new customers. In the new context, new market, and new challenges, we must release the voice and elegant posture of Mercedes-Benz and tell the story of Mercedes-Benz well.
"Friends in the media often ask me why Mercedes-Benz has been so stable and confident for so long. The fundamental reason is that our long-term confidence in the Chinese market remains unchanged. We should take a long-term view. The 139 years of Mercedes-Benz is itself a story about 'long-termism'. We firmly believe that time is the best proof." This was Duan Jianjun's answer.
