From left: Dr Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of Management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Xu Heyi, chairman of BAIC Group, Hubertus Troska, member of the board of management of Daimler AG and chairman & CEO of Daimler Greater China, Dr Thomas Weber, member of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, Wang Chuanfu, chairman and CEO of BYD Group, Tan Sri C K Lau, chairman of Lei Shing Hong Automobile Ltd, Nicholas Speeks, president and CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co Ltd, Frank Deiss, president & CEO of Beijing Benz Automotive Co Ltd at Mercedes' press conference Auto Shanghai 2013 on April 20.

The all-new Mercedes E-Class Sports Sedan Long premiere at Auto Shanghai 2013.

Mercedes' crowns at Auto Shanghai 2013. Photos Provided to China Daily

The Year of 2013 marks an important anniversary for Mercedes-Benz: 100 years ago, in 1913, Daimler set up its first sales office in China.

To celebrate it, Mercedes-Benz, smart and AMG gathered at the 15th Shanghai International Auto Exhibition, and showcased 42 fascinating models.

The Concept GLA was unveiled for the first time ever, revealing the future of the compact premium SUV. The new E-Class Long also held its world premiere, and launched a new product strategy that offers two distinct ranges differentiated by two front end grill designs.

In addition, the highly-anticipated all-new A-Class, and the all-new CLS Shooting Brake also had its China launch.

As part of Mercedes-Benz' 2013 product offensive, a total of seven new models were launched at Auto Shanghai.

"The rich product portfolio will definitely help us achieve one of our most important objectives: Regaining momentum in this important market!" said Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Mercedes-Benz turned last year into its best-ever sales year in its third-largest market, with total deliveries of more than 200,000 vehicles to Chinese customers. However, its sales number is still in the third position in China's premium car sector.

"To live up to our brand aspiration: 'The Best or Nothing' we're determined to pick up the pace in China," said Zetsche.

"Market forecasts through 2020 show an extraordinary growth potential of 9 percent every year. And those forecasts are even higher for the premium segment. We're aiming to take a bigger piece of that growing pie: By 2015 we want to sell over 300,000 cars here every year," he added.

The major highlight of Mercedes-Benz' offering at Auto Shanghai was the preview of the Concept GLA, the brand's vision for its upcoming premium compact SUV. With a sporty coupe-like design, avant-garde but functional interior, and a powerful four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine rated at 155 kW, the vehicle impresses on both the design and performance fronts: its power is transmitted to the road via the 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission and 4MATIC all-wheel drive.

"And definitely, this concept car is our next star for the worldwide growing premium compact car segment. When you set a first sight on it, you must crush on it and want to escape with it everyday" Said Zetsche, "the distinctive look, exceptional handling and driving fun will make it simply an offer our customers won't be able to refuse!"

Another major highlight for Mercedes-Benz at the motor show was the redesigned all-new A-Class, which represents the pulse of a new generation with its electrifying design and power options: The A180, A200 and A260 Sport is priced at 252,000 yuan ($40,645), 278,000 yuan, and 358,000 yuan respectively.

"There's always that tremendous sense of pride when the smallest car with the star also hits the showrooms in the world's biggest automotive market: China," said Zetsche.

The totally redesigned all-new A-Class radiates fascination both inside and out. An electrifying, dynamic exterior combined with a number of premium appointments and agile driving dynamics reflects Mercedes-Benz' confidence in the compact car segment.

"When we first unveiled the new A-Class, the brave new look raised a few eyebrows. But that was a good sign. Because that look is raising our sales figures now," said Zetsche. "Customer feedback shows that the new design is the top reason why customers buy this car."

The all-new A-Class has an extraordinarily refined design that incorporates a young and sporty style. "In other words, while the A-Class is capturing 'The Pulse of a New Generation', it also has our competitors checking their pulse!" said Zetsche.

He believes that the new A-Class will certainly be key to increasing Mercedes' sales volume. "But it doesn't have to do the job all on its own. It's going to have a lot of help as we build the broadest and deepest Mercedes portfolio ever."

Another highlight at Mercedes' stand is the new E-Class Long, which plays a major role in Mercedes' offensive in China.

"The E-Class has always been the heart of Mercedes-Benz and - more than ever - it is our most important model for the Chinese market. The perfect choice for demanding Chinese customers," said Hubertus Troska, chairman and CEO of Daimler Greater China.

In order to meet the needs of different customers in this segment, the new E-Class Long will be launched with two distinct model ranges under a new offering strategy for the China market: the extraordinarily dynamic new E-Class Sport Sedan Long with a sports grill featuring a central star and the timeless new E-Class Sedan Long featuring a classic grill with standing star on the bonnet design.

"Over the past six decades the "E" has been the mainstay of the Mercedes brand - with more than 13 million customers worldwide. But we've never before produced an E-class with the level of technology, performance and sophistication as this," said Troska. "The new E-Class Long will for sure reinforce our presence in China market as we build it in China and for China."

"Today, we are demonstrating that besides the E-Class and the A-Class we have more in the pipeline to excite our customers here in China - and around the world," he added.

The all-new CLS Shooting Brake brings an unprecedented driving experience to individuals that don't follow the crowd and seek extraordinary style with its beautifully streamlined shape and sporty, innovative design.

It inherits the CLS-Class' innate creativity and opens up a new market segment by combining the perfect proportions of a sport sedan with a five-door design.

The all-new C-Class Coupe is irresistible with its expressive design and perfect proportions combined with unbelievable performance. This charismatic new model further expands the product portfolio of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class family in China, bringing another fascinating choice to meet consumers' increasingly diversified demands.

The all-new GL 500 creates a new benchmark for full-sized luxury seven-seater SUVs with its superb on/off-road capabilities combined with Mercedes-Benz' flagship level of luxury. It leaves competitors in the dust with a new, powerful V8 biturbo direct-injection engine that propels the GL 500 from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds.

With the B 260, the all-new B-Class luxury sports tourer Mercedes' family portfolio has been enlarged to meet the diverse needs of Chinese consumers. The all-new B 260 has even more power with an output of 155 kW that pushes the car from 0 to 100 km/h in only 6.8 seconds, further enhancing the style and quality of life advocated by the B-Class.

Meanwhile, two new high-performance AMG models - the all-new GL 63 AMG and the all-new SL 63 AMG- are now available for purchase at prices of 2.148 million yuan and 2.398 million yuan respectively.

Mercedes-Benz' rich and diverse product line-up together with its strong brand strategy fully reflects the three-pointed star's determination and confidence, as well as the brand's unwavering commitment to the China market.

Mercedes-Benz has never slowed its relentless pace of innovation. Instead, constant breakthroughs continuously inject vitality into the century-old brand, ensuring that the Mercedes-Benz star will shine even brighter in the future.

"Today, we have more than 260 Mercedes dealerships in China, and are adding over 75 more this year alone. I think the cars you've seen today are the best proof: In the years to come, our Chinese dealers will be very busy," said Zetsche.

lifangfang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/21/2013 page5)