since 1976
since 1976
MERCEDES-BENZ Malaysia (MBM) is definitely on a roll having chalked up its fifth year of record performance in vehicle sales and service for 2018. It delivered 13,079 vehicles for that year, establishing an all-time high sales performance in this country. That accounts for 2.4 per cent of the 2018 market share, giving it the proud position of the nation’s top luxury lifestyle brand in the automotive sector.
A matching performance is enjoyed by Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia that financed four out of every 10 vehicles sold, contributing to a total financing portfolio of 2.7 billion ringgit. And a third achievement is its ‘unmatched customer services’ with 148,000 vehicles serviced.
MBM President and CEO Dr Claus Weidner said: “2018 was another successful year in the 15-year extraordinary journey for Mercedes-Benz Malaysia and the Mercedes-Benz brand. Our efforts to invigorate the brand experience for our increasingly diverse fans have been fruitful and we are happy to retain our position as the number one luxury lifestyle brand.
“Offering a seamless customer experience to our valued customers is a core value that we uphold and we believe this is important to ensure sustainability of the business. The mantra has always been about ‘Putting the customer at the centre of our activities’.”
A breakdown of the sales achievement by Mark Raine, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at MBM, highlighted the diversified aspect of the Mercedes-Benz customer pool. Spearheading MBM’s performance were the locally produced limousines with 7910 vehicles sold, a 12-per cent improvement over 2017. Next came the Mercedes-Benz SUVs (sport utility vehicles) with 2613 vehicles delivered (up 0.5 per cent over 2017) and the top sellers in this segment were the locally produced Mercedes-Benz GLC 200 and GLC 250. Naturally, with the growing trend for SUVs, MBM expects continued positive demand here.
The Mercedes-Benz compact cars recorded 1875 units sold (up 7.7 per cent) while the Mercedes-Benz Dream Cars saw 662 cars moved (550 of them being the AMG range) to chalk up an impressive 77 per cent growth for the three-pointed star’s ‘brand shapers’ over the previous year.
Some sales details include 2017’s sales of 12,046; best ever first and third quarters in 2018 with 3335 and 3353 vehicles sold respectively; best half year in the history of MBM at 6790 vehicles moved and June 2018 being the record sales month with 1750 vehicles delivered.
MBM’s strong sales progression probably had to do with the fact that it launched 20 vehicles throughout 2018 and the key models were the locally-assembled Mercedes-AMG C 43 and GLC 43, Mercedes-AMG E 53 sedan and Mercedes-AMG E 53 Coupé, the New Dream Cars Collection, new S-Class family, new-generation C-Class and all-new A-Class. MBM also showcased the brand’s innovative edge with the EQ Concept premiere in Kuala Lumpur, which was a first in Southeast Asia. And this profusion of new model launches is expected to continue into 2019.
To drive brand awareness, MBM organised activities to engage the Mercedes-Benz diverse fan base that were aligned to the company’s overall Best Customer Experience commitment. The events included Urban Hunting x ULTRA Singapore 2018, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in KL, the Mercedes-Benz Trophy and introduction of the AMG Owners Club Malaysia.
MBM says that its emphasis on upholding Best Customer Experience at every touchpoint also translated into the highest Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) After-sales score in history. This was also showcased in the 2018 Mercedes-Benz SEA II Skills Competition. The year marked the competition’s 10th anniversary and the first year in opening its doors to the South East Asia II region. A total of 613 Customer Service Professionals and Advanced Modern Apprenticeship finalists competed for the title of best technician, service advisor and process specialist within the Mercedes-Benz framework.
MBM adds that to date, Mercedes-Benz has the largest premium dealer network in the country with 35 dedicated dealers. Five new touchpoints were launched in 2018 including the NZ Wheels Klang Autohaus, Hap Seng Star Setia Alam Autohaus and Asbenz Stern Kuantan Autohaus. The company also held the inaugural Dealer of Year award in March 2018 to recognise operational excellence and the commitment to delivering Best Customer Experience.
MBM says that Mercedes-Benz has invested more than 1 billion ringgit in the Malaysian market since 2003 and MBM’s production plant in Pekan, Pahang is said to demonstrate its long-term position and commitment to the country’s economy. In FY2018, the Pekan plant produced 9854 vehicles, with the newest addition being the Mercedes-Benz S 450 L and Mercedes-AMG 43 4MATIC facelift. The year saw the first roll-out of the first AMG models in Malaysia and the highest monthly output of 1104 units.
These are just some of the initiatives carried out last year and going into 2019, Dr Weidner said it would be another exciting year for Mercedes-Benz with refreshing innovations and new benchmarks to elevate the customer experience. “We are excited to share these updates in due time.”
On a global scale, Daimler AG had earlier announced that Mercedes-Benz sold about 2.3 million cars worldwide in 2018, an increase of 0.9 per cent to make 2018 the most successful year in sales in the company’s history. The new sales record in the car division of Daimler AG was said to be driven in particular by the success of Mercedes-Benz in the Asia-Pacific region.
This region was identified as the one with the strongest growth in 2018, delivering 943,473 (+7.8 per cent) Mercedes-Benz cars to customers. Mercedes-Benz Malaysia was one of the few markets in this region to have delivered more passenger cars than ever before in a single year.
