Fascination and Responsibility – Mercedes-Benz at the 10th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition

• Auto China 2008 has become the second largest global auto show for Mercedes-Benz Car Group, only next to Frankfurt;

Beijing, April 20 – Mercedes-Benz kicked off the 10th Beijing Auto Show at the New China International Exhibition Centre with all three Mercedes-Benz Car brands, including Maybach and smart also, appearing together for the first time ever. For the first time Mercedes-Benz has officially recognized the Beijing Auto Show as the second largest global auto show after Frankfurt, suggesting the rapid progress the Chinese auto industry has made. From the world premiere GLK, Asia premieres SL 500 and Maybach Landaulet, to the China premieres including S 350 4MATIC, CL 600 and smart models, displaying a record 33 models emphasizes Mercedes-Benz’s fascination and responsibility.

Mercedes-Benz wasn’t just premiering cars, however—it also gave visitors and media a taste of the auto industry’s future and the importance it attaches to social responsibility. The E 300 BLUETEC diesel and B-Class F-Cell hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, making their first appearances in China, reflect the comprehensive nature of Mercedes-Benz “green luxury”, while Mercedes-Benz’s first ever CSR exhibit highlights the variety of social, cultural, educational and athletic activities it has sponsored and promoted in recent years. The key to success and long-term development requires a mutually beneficial relationship with the Chinese market, and Mercedes-Benz has worked hard to find ways to give back to society.

“The fact that all of our passenger car brands - Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart - are all here in China for the first time together demonstrates the great importance we attach to the Chinese market and the confidence we have in it. In 2007, Mercedes-Benz China achieved an outstanding volume growth of 50 percent. At the start of 2008, when the spotlight across the globe points at China with unprecedented focus, Mercedes-Benz Cars has achieved its best first quarter sales result ever, helped significantly by our market success here in China,” said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, making a special trip to Beijing just to attend the show.

Chinese super-star Zhang Ziyi helped Mercedes-Benz unveil the world premiere of the all new GLK. With the calm and confident outline of the all-new luxury GLK-Class compact SUV, one cannot help associating it with the classic Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV. For the past 30 years, the G-Class SUV has always been regarded as a fashion icon and design benchmark for all Mercedes-Benz off-road vehicles. Combining this bold concept with the latest Mercedes-Benz design idiom makes the GLK a vehicle of genuine character. The combination of the distinct design standard and the latest Mercedes-Benz design style give the luxury GLK-Class compact SUV a pure off-road personality.

For the all-new GLK-Class, rather than being a stylistic end in itself, the body design allows the typical advantages of an off-road vehicle to be introduced to the more road-oriented compact-SUV category for the first time. Large angles of approach and departure plus good ground clearance make off-road ventures a sheer joy. The outstandingly clear layout of the body and good all-round visibility, combined with the raised seating position, enhance everyday practicality and ensure relaxed driving, even in dense city traffic.

As the fifth member of Mercedes-Benz SUV family, the GLK, along with its big brothers the G, GL and M-Class, gives consumers worldwide the best range of SUV options. Having won tremendous praise and admiration from Chinese consumers, the SUV family saw sales grow an impressive 90% in 2007, more than 3000 units in total, and in the first quarter of 2008 sales have risen an astounding 100%, more than 1000 units in all. Without a doubt, Mercedes-Benz has given even more reasons as to why it is the No.1 brand in luxury SUVs.

Also at this year’s auto show a special version of the R 300 Grand Sports Tourer, customized to meet the unique requirements of Chinese customers, took the stage. As the founder of its unique market segment, the R-Class continues its outstanding performance in the Chinese market with 800 units sold in the first quarter of this year.

Four Mercedes-Benz S-Class models appear at this year’s Beijing Auto Show, including the S 300 Business, S 350 4MATIC, S 600 and S 65 AMG, each a part of Mercedes-Benz’s on-going efforts to regularly enhance the prestige of owning an S-Class and to satisfy consumers ever increasingly personalized demands. Of particular note is the S 350 4MATIC, making its official launch at the show. Coming equipped with the latest generation 4MATIC technology, the all-new S 350 4MATIC adds further versatility to the flagship line-up, ensuring safety and comfort even when faced with the most challenging road conditions.

Since the 2005 launch of the new S-Class in the Chinese market, the S 300 Business and Exclusive, S 350, S 500, S 600 and S 500 4MATIC、S 65 AMG, have all set their wheels down in China, greatly satisfying Chinese customers’ highly differentiated demands for high-end luxury saloons. The most recent sales figures show that more than 3,100 units (mainland China only) have been sold in the first quarter of 2008, maintaining its lead in the top-end luxury car segment.

For the first time ever, both the locally-built E-Class and all-new locally-built C-Class have appeared together at an auto show, generating a buzz among Chinese customers. The E-Class, equipped with approximately 2000 new or enhanced parts, boasts a new exterior design with added dynamism, poise and assurance. As a technology trendsetter, the E-Class once again sets the benchmark in the top level luxury car segment.

Since the all-new C-Class came to China last November, Chinese customers have appreciated its unique features and attractive styling found in both variants. Now, having made the smooth transition from import to local production, the all-new locally-built C-Class has taken the stage at the Beijing Auto Show, enjoying exactly the same quality and features that one expects from all Mercedes-Benz cars. Like the locally-built E-Class, the C-Class further symbolizes Mercedes-Benz’s close commitment to developing the China market, and judging by the crowds of curious onlookers, it has clearly made a lasting impression on Chinese fans.

The new locally-built C-Class provides users with models that embody two different exterior design concepts. The C-Class AVANTGARDE, with energetic dynamics as its theme, reveals an advanced concept that highlights its inherent dynamism individualism; the C-Class ELEGANCE, on the other hand, carries on the classic and traditional design style of Mercedes-Benz. This is the first time that locally-built luxury cars have adopted two different designs and equipment lines in the same class. The two design styles correspond with each other and bring out the best in each other so as to meet the needs of a larger and more diverse customer group.

In addition to the perceptive design concept, the locally-built C-Class is equipped with many innovative technical features. The locally-built C 200K and C 280 come with the AGILITY CONTROL package and new-generation PRE-SAFE® as standard specifications. The locally-built C 280 also features the unique 7G-TRONIC 7-speed automatic transmission and Intelligent Light System. It’s obvious that the new locally-built C-Class strives for perfection in every aspect, including safety, handling stability, power, comfort and superior quality. Its comprehensive strength is second to none.

All of China is hotly anticipating the 29th Olympiad taking place in Beijing, an event for which Mercedes-Benz is equally excited. To celebrate this monumental occasion, it has decided to launch the SLK 350 Passion 08 limited edition as a special gift to Chinese SLK lovers on May 1. Together with the Asia premiere of the SL roadster, the CLK and CLS coupes, and the debut of the CL coupe in China, the SLK 350 Passion leads the way for the ever expanding Mercedes-Benz sports car lineup in China, making an indisputable argument that sportiness is an indelible attribute of the three-pointed star.

To demonstrate, it has created TrueBlueSolutions, an exciting new exhibit at this year’s auto show that puts the success of these efforts on display in a straightforward manner, including the E 300 BLUETEC, one of the cleanest burning diesel engine cars in the world, Two-Mode Hybrid ─ the ML 450 BlueHYBRID exhibits and the leading-edge hydrogen powered B-Class F-Cell concept car.

As a global pioneer in research and development of technology and clean energy, the “luxury” of Mercedes-Benz models not only means ultimate performance and enjoyment, but also embodies care for the future of society and human being in terms of energy saving and environmental protection. Therefore, Mercedes-Benz has always been fully devoted to navigate the technical strength of the world to get rid of the traditional concept that "luxury enjoyment goes against energy saving and environmental protection", and makes luxury cars outstanding in terms of energy saving and environmental protection, which gives rise to a new concept of "Green Luxury".

At present, among Mercedes-Benz products, the level of fuel consumption and emissions of the luxury cars with large displacement has been greatly reduced, and even superior to that of the small-displacement models with traditional technologies; what’s more important is that luxury models powered by the new energy developed by Mercedes-Benz have achieved an new height in term of energy saving and environmental protection beyond the capability of traditional models.

B-Class F-Cell uses pure hydrogen or a hydrogen carrier as fuel, which totally eliminates the emission of harmful vapors. This concept is the long-term goal of Mercedes-Benz’s roadmap to sustainable mobility. At present, it has carried out the research, development and testing of this technology all over the world.

The Mercedes-Benz brand, however, is about more than just cars and technology. As a world leader in the automotive industry, Mercedes-Benz goes above and beyond to take care not just of car owners, but the very communities and societies of which it is a part. In China alone it has already sponsored and supported numerous educational, artistic, athletic and cultural activities to help enrich the lives of Chinese citizens, and now, for the first time ever, it has set up an exhibit at the Beijing Auto Show specifically for its CSR activities in China, helping to delineate how Mercedes-Benz strives to be an outstanding corporate citizen, strongly commits itself to long-term development in China and the strategies used to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with the Chinese marketplace.

One of the latest of these projects on display is Green Legacy Program – jointly initiated by Mercedes-Benz and UNESCO last September. In this project, Mercedes-Benz has carried out donation activities for the giant panda sanctuary in Ya'an, Sichuan province and Karst areas of South China, with accumulated contributions of RMB6.5 million. Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz is engaged in strategic cooperation with the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) to promote the development and prosperity of cultural and artistic programs in China.

To carry out activities for fulfilling corporate social responsibility, Daimler plans to invest around RMB50 million this year in China, among which, around RMB40 million will be funded by Mercedes-Benz. Mr. Klaus Maier, CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd., said, “Pursuing the cause of public welfare is not only the responsibility of an enterprise, but also a precondition that determines an enterprise’s survival. Promoting and becoming a part of China’s social harmony and rapid economic development is our obligatory responsibility and proactively shouldering social obligations is an important part of our long-term commitment to the Chinese market.”

Mercedes-Benz never stops working to further enhance sales service in the Chinese market. As of now Mercedes-Benz has established 100 authorized sales and service centers in China, ensuring more customers can enjoy Mercedes-Benz quality service. In fact, Mercedes-Benz has set the highest benchmark for the industry in the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2007 China Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study. Included for the first time in the rankings, Mercedes-Benz scored 829 in SSI, 21 points ahead of industry average.

In Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, Mercedes-Benz Cars sales have reached more than 9,600 passenger vehicles in the first three months of 2008, a record-breaking year-on-year increase of 40% (more than 8,600 passenger cars sold in mainland China, a 42% year-on-year increase), maintaining its position as sales leader in the top-end luxury car segment.

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