Mercedes Benz Press release with the launch of 2 new models.

Mercedes-Benz reins as Thailand’s Premium Car Leader for 18 Consecutive Years with 15,785 Delivered Units; Starts 2019 with 2 Mercedes-AMG 53 Sports—the Local Production CLS 53 4MATIC+ and the E 53 4MATIC+ Coupé

Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Limited today officially releases its 2018 performance with the three-pointed star brand reaffirming its premier status in the Thai luxury automotive market for 18 consecutive years with a new and highest ever annual delivery record of 15,785 units. A presentation on 2019’s business direction indicates local release of at least 20 models across all segments, complemented with year-long marketing activities for all brands of Mercedes-Benz namely Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach, and the EQ technology brand. Two latest models under Mercedes-AMG 53, namely the local production CLS 53 4MATIC+ and the E 53 4MATIC+ Coupé are also released to satisfy customers who love performance. After-sales is going to be perfected with a new and comprehensive “Parts Distribution Center”, officially opened from February 2019, as well as at least four new authorised dealers which will be unveiled during the year.

Mr. Roland Folger, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Limited began: “The year 2018 can be counted as a year full of accomplishments for Mercedes-Benz as we can proudly say we are the world’s best luxury car brand based on delivery for three consecutive years. We continued to grow and break new records for eight continuous years with our 2018 global car sales at 2,310,185 units. Our SUVs made a significant contribution to last year’s sales success with 820,721 units sold. In addition, Mercedes-AMG, the performance and sports car brand, also achieved six-digit unit sales last year as a result of continuous expansion with the ‘53’ product family and product portfolio shift. Moreover, 609,000 customers worldwide received our finest compact cars last year.

“Asia-Pacific was noted as a region with the highest annual sales as 943,473 Mercedes-Benz passenger cars were delivered solely in this region. Regional growth of 7.8 percent was highlighted as a growth figure higher than the year before. Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz significantly delivered more passenger cars to consumers in Japan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam than previous years. For Thailand in particular, our sales record and annual growth hit a new high with 15,785 units delivered and nine percent growth respectively. We therefore remain Thailand’s top player in the luxury auto market for 18 continuous years.

“For 2019, Mercedes-Benz will continue to offer new products created with our groundbreaking technologies and automotive innovations under four brands, namely Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach, and EQ. At least 20 new models are expected to be launched in Thailand as we set to reaffirm our reputation as a trailblazing brand in electric vehicles by building a complete ecosystem—starting from new product release, after-sales preparations, charger network expansion, and initiation of our local production line for high-capacity electric vehicle batteries to meet potentially rising demands. On customer services, we are going to expand our network of authorised dealers to accommodate more customers across the nation. Aside from Bangkok, we plan to have only one authorised dealer per province. Four new authorised dealers for Bangkok and upcountry provinces will be nominated this year and our total authorised dealers will hit 36 by the end of 2019,” concluded Mr. Folger.

Mr. Frank Steinacher, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Limited, continued: “Our accomplishments are grounded on our master plan to launch products to match with local demands. 16 models were launched in Thailand last year and we have enjoyed a tremendous growth of 309 percent for the brand Mercedes-AMG as we have proactively excited customers with constant marketing campaigns to support the launch of five Mercedes-AMG models, both locally assembled and imported. Moreover, we organised the first ‘Mercedes-AMG Driving Experience’ in Thailand for our customers and press members to exclusively experience actual performance of Mercedes-AMG vehicles. 12 Mercedes-AMG authorised dealers are currently active Thailand-wide to ensure customers have full-scale after-sales and services for their vehicles. For this year, Mercedes-AMG is going to keep the momentum for the brand starting with the launch of two premium additions to the Mercedes-AMG 53 line which are the local production CLS 53 4MATIC+ and the E 53 4MATIC+ Coupé that comes with our innovative EQ Boost technology to enhance performance upon acceleration. ‘AMG Brand Center’, a dedicated authorised dealer and service center of the brand Mercedes-AMG with state-of-the-art innovations and services, will also be opened for the first time in Thailand and will be a prime addition to 11 AMG Brand Centers we currently have around the world.

“On Mercedes-Benz’s excellence in electric vehicles, we started the construction of our battery assembly plant last year to maximise our production capabilities in Thailand. We further initiated a cooperation with three upscale hotel chains to put our chargers at their premises so now we have 200 chargers in total. A special press function named ‘Mercedes-Benz EQ Tech Day’ was also organised to reveal EQ vehicles’ overview and future direction in Thailand along with a recent public display of the EQA concept vehicle. In 2019, Mercedes-Benz Thailand is going to unveil electric vehicles under EQ brand throughout the year including the EQ Power plug-in hybrid vehicle, the EQ Power+ featured in our Mercedes-AMG vehicles, and the EQ as a pure Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV). At least 80 charging stations will also be installed in public areas for convenience of owners.

“On marketing activities to raise brand image in 2019, the ‘Best Customer Experience’ core strategy will continue and we will strengthen customer relationships through a series of lifestyle activities under ‘She’s Mercedes’ global platform as previously organised workshops were greatly welcomed by customers and fans. Mercedes-Benz also reach young consumers with online platforms namely Facebook and Instagram. We now have 812,285 and 121,214 followers respectively,” added Mr. Steinacher.

Mr. Putthi Tulayathun, Vice President of Customer Services, Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Limited, further explained: “Our service principles are centered on delivering ‘Best Customer Experience’ in all areas our customers could imagine. Mercedes-Benz always drives awareness on our after-sales campaigns and products such as our extended warranty and service packages under Mercedes-Benz Service Plus (MBSP), remanufacturing parts (REMAN) made by our certified manufacturers, and Mercedes-Benz Engine Oil lubricants. In addition, we prioritise our technician development programs both for our current staff and vocational students who are studying under our GTDEE co-educational program with four partner vocational schools namely Samutprakan Technical College, Eastern Technological College, Don Bosco Technological College Bangkok, and Don Bosco Technological College Baan Pong. 30 students graduated from the GTDEE program and filled the positions at our authorised dealers last year. Currently, 52 students have already signed their contract with our authorised dealers across Thailand and will be starting to work from 2020 onwards. Mercedes-Benz is increasing training capabilities by expanding our training facility and it is scheduled for completion by the end of 2019.

“This year, we plan to enhance every area of after-sales ranging from maintenance supremacy and expansion of the service area to welcome the increasing number of customers. As such, our new ‘Parts Distribution Center’ will officially open in February at the 19th km of Bang Na-Trad Highway. For efficiency from upstream to downstream, the center implements class-leading technologies designed to analyse and store spare parts for distribution according to requests from customers through authorised service centers. Mercedes-Benz presently welcomes customers around the nation with 32 authorised dealers: 17 in Bangkok and the metropolitan area and 15 in other provinces upcountry. To extensively accommodate prospective customers, four new authorised dealers—two in Bangkok and another two at designated provinces—will be up and running in due course, meaning we are going to increase the number of authorised dealers to 36. Last but not least, four new official body and paint centers will be established through the course of 2019 to raise the number of authorised body and paint centers in Thailand to 15,” ended Mr. Putthi.