German car and truck maker Mercedes-Benz is to expand its product range, by the end of this decade, into the promising pickup segment.
30 Mar 2015 | 4142 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
German car and truck maker Mercedes-Benz is to expand its product range, by the end of this decade, into the promising pickup segment. Thanks to their versatility, all-round utility, and payload of around one metric tonnes, pickups are popular across the world and thus have good sales potential.
The ...
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German car and truck maker Mercedes-Benz is to expand its product range, by the end of this decade, into the promising pickup segment. Thanks to their versatility, all-round utility, and payload of around one metric tonnes, pickups are popular across the world and thus have good sales potential.
The new Mercedes-Benz pickup, the first from a premium manufacturer, will be developed by the Mercedes-Benz Vans division. It will initially be targeted at markets in Latin America, South Africa, Australia, and Europe, all of which are posting sustained growth in this segment. Surprisingly, the company does not have the ASEAN – and Thailand, the world’s largest pickup market – countries in its sights for the initial sales plan.
“The Mercedes-Benz pickup will contribute nicely to our global growth targets,” says Dr Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the Board of Management Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Division. “We will enter this segment with our distinctive brand identity and all of the vehicle attributes that are typical of the brand with regard to safety, comfort, powertrains, and value.”
Volker Mornhinweg, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, adds: “As part of our ‘Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global’ strategy, the pickup is the ideal vehicle for the international expansion of our product range with a newly developed model.”
The midsize pickup segment is currently undergoing a transformation worldwide. More and more pickups are being used for private purposes, and commercial as well as private users are increasingly asking for vehicles that have car-like specifications. “We can perfectly serve customers looking for a vehicle that offers a high level of utility and at the same time has the comfort, safety, and design of a Mercedes-Benz passenger car,” says Mornhinweg. “We will design our brand’s first pickup according to this recipe for success.”