Automotive News Europe - March 2, 2009 - 23

March 2, 2009 www.autonewseurope.com · PAGE 23 Mercedes hit hard by global sales slowdown Automaker suffers more than BMW, Audi as even wealthy buyers shun showrooms Hurtej Kaur Automotive News Europe MUNICH Mercedes-Benz is being hardest hit among the German premium brands by the downturn in global new-car sales. In January, Mercedes’ new- car volume was down 34.5 percent to 53,900 compared with the same month a year earlier. Audi’s and BMW’s sales were down, too. (See chart, right) Mercedes said its sales suffered in almost all its markets. The model changeover of its E class, its secondbest seller after the C class, also slowed sales. Klaus Maier, Mercedes’ head of sales and marketing, expects the redesigned E class to help the company fight the downturn. “To date, we have received more than 35,000 orders [customer and dealer] for the new E class, even before the official market launch in March,” Maier said in a statement. Meager month Global sales at Germany’s premium automakers fell sharply in January Mercedes Audi BMW Source: Companies Sales 53,900 56,200 60,248 % chg vs. ’08 - 34.5 - 28.6 - 22.1 cedes, rival Audi was upbeat despite the brand’s global sales drop. Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi board member for sales and marketing, said that in January Audi expanded its market share in the US, Germany and the rest of western Europe. He said the launch of six new models in the next six months will help boost Audi sales but added: “This year won’t be easy for anyone.” Ian Robertson, BMW’s head of sales and marketing, added that 2009 would be tough. “Current market conditions remain extremely challenging,” Robertson said in a statement. BMW brand sales fell 22.1 percent to 60,248 last month, compared with 77,351 in 2008. BMW group sales, including Mini and Rolls-Royce, fell ANE 24.2 percent to 70,405. Mercedes expects its new E class to help the company fight its sales slump. Trouble in key markets Mercedes-Benz Cars, which includes Smart, suffered sales drops in all its big markets. In western Europe, sales were down 32.3 percent to 34,100 in January. Sales in the US fell 35.5 percent to 12,200. In Germany sales were down 24.1 percent to 13,000. These declines came despite good news for Smart last month. Sales of the Smart ForTwo were up 3.1 percent to 8,300, helped by the successful launch of the two-seat minicar in the US. The ForTwo will be introduced to China, Brazil and Denmark this year. While January was painful for Mer- Rolf Group still positive on Russia Arjen Bongard Automotive News Europe Rolf Group remains bullish on the prospects for the Russian market, despite expectations that its business volume could drop between 35 percent and 50 percent this year. Nick Hawkins, CEO of Rolf, Russia’s largest importer of foreign cars, said he was confident the market would recover in 2010 and beyond. “I still think people CEO Hawkins should be bullish on sees sales rise. this marketplace,” he said in a phone interview. “Most people still forecast an upward trend.” PricewaterhouseCoopers said in January that car sales in Russia could fall between 25 percent and 50 percent this year. Hawkins said he expected the market to make up those losses in subsequent years. In 2008, sales of foreign brands soared 26 percent in Russia to 2.1 million, while domestic brands fell 7.3 percent to 700,000. The Rolf CEO said Russia’s longterm outlook is buoyed by expectations that restrictions on consumer credit will ease up, and oil prices, which underpin much of the country’s growth, will rise again. Said Hawkins: “I’m a lot happier selling cars here than in the UK at ANE the moment.”

http://www.autonewseurope.com

Automotive News Europe - March 2, 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News Europe - March 2, 2009