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| Mercedes-Benz Korea unveils the Concept Mercedes-Maybach EQS during a New Year press conference, Tuesday. Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Korea |
German brand plans to debut 6 new vehicles in 2022
By Kim Hyun-bin
Mercedes-Benz Korea plans to step up efforts for electrification, digitization and ESG in an effort to better transform into an all-electric vehicle manufacturer by 2030.
The company shared its business plans and strategies for 2022 under the theme of "Power the Future," during an online press conference, Tuesday, vowing to retain its status as the nation's No. 1 import car brand for the seventh consecutive year.
Executive members of Mercedes-Benz Korea took part including President and CEO Thomas Klein, Vice President of Sales Lee Sang-kuk, Vice President of Customer Services Thilo Grossmann; Vice President of Network Development Kristin Cho and Vice President of Product Management Johannes Schoen.
This year, Mercedes-Benz Korea plans to launch three new models and two facelifts, along with various additional vehicles to establish a strategic portfolio in Korea. This includes the new facelift of the CLS 4-door luxury coupe, the sixth-generation C-Class, the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe 4-door sports car, the new EQE business electric sedan, the new EQB family electric SUV and the new Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+, which is the high-performance version of the EQS.
In addition, the company introduced the Concept Mercedes-Maybach EQS for the first time in Korea, Tuesday. The concept car is the first all-electric model of the Mercedes-Maybach brand representing the "Ultimate Luxury."
According to the German carmaker, it sold 76,152 vehicles here in 2021, ranking first among import car brands in the country for the sixth consecutive year since 2016. It has solidified its leadership in the country's import market, launching an online shop for new and used cars and adding six sales and service outlets last year. It currently runs 61 showrooms, 74 service centers and 23 certified pre-owned showrooms, providing customized customer services.
"We accelerated transformation and made meaningful results in Korea throughout 2021 to provide the best products and services to our customers," Klein said. "We will continue the strategic growth momentum centering on competitive models and customer service in 2022. In addition, we will continue activities for mutual growth with Korean society as a responsible corporate citizen."
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| Thomas Klein, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Korea, gives a company presentation during a press conference held online, Tuesday. Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Korea |
Mercedes-Benz Korea has been building an environment for customers to enjoy digital services anytime and anyplace, and plans to further expand digital services this year to strengthen the value of customer experience as well as service convenience.
The company aims to double its rate of online use by launching the Mercedes-Benz Service App and expanding online reservations for service centers.
It also aims to boost online sales, which began in 2021, so that customers can purchase various products conveniently. The company opened its official online sales channel, Mercedes Online Shop, last September, allowing customers to make down payments online for both new and pre-owned vehicles on its digital platform.
Starting this year, which will mark the eighth anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz CSR Committee, the company plans to expand its ESG management.
In 2021, Mercedes-Benz Korea launched its fifth CSR program, "GREEN+," under the themes of sustainability and decarbonization. This year the company will focus more on ESG, carrying out various sustainable activities such as picking up litter and forest creation in everyday life, as well as raising awareness of climate change risks and the importance of carbon neutrality.
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