Mercedes launches new sedan designed for young consumers

Mercedes-Benz on Friday launched its long-wheelbase A-class sedan, the first in China's premium compact vehicle segment, as part of its efforts to woo the country's younger and more tech-savvy customers.

Nicholas Speeks, president and CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales and Service, said the model, with larger legroom and better connectivity, will meet and even exceed expectations of many new-generation customers.

Mercedes-Benz has the youngest customers in China, averaging 36 years old, with around one-third of them younger than 30, and the A-class has been the top choice for a first car for 40 percent of Mercedes' customers in the country.

Zhang Yan, senior executive vice-president of BMBS, said the all-new A-class L sedan, which is the fifth localized Mercedes-Benz model, takes into consideration the demands of the younger generation from design to production.

With a wheelbase of 2,789 mm, the all-new A-class L sedan offers segment-leading legroom for passengers in the back seats.

Sporting a 1.3T four-cylinder engine, the model has two powertrain options, which generate maximum outputs of 100 kW and 120 kW respectively. A more prominent feature is that the sedan is the company's first mass-produced, China-made model to come equipped with its cutting-edge MBUX infotainment system and voice assistant, which allows for dialogue in natural language.

The system is also capable of learning about user behavior in a continuous way, with the support of artificial intelligence, thus offering more personalized and pleasant driving experiences, according to the company.

The carmaker said products and services that meet local demands have driven its sales in the country, with more than 600,000 Mercedes-Benz and smart-branded vehicles sold so far this year.

To succeed in China, automakers must reinvent their success formulas to surprise and delight Chinese customers, for example, by offering good connectivity services, McKinsey & Company said in a recent report.

It said a third of Chinese respondents consider it critical to have in-car connectivity, compared to 20 percent in the United States and 18 percent in Germany.

Only 11 percent of respondents in China are not willing to pay extra for an in-car connectivity system, compared to 43 percent in Germany and 30 percent in the US.