Mercedes makes plans to help lift gloomy market

Irish Mercedes-Benz chief executive Stephen Byrne is planning on adding more dealers to the network for 2009 against the backdrop of a gloomy market. Speaking at the launch of the new generation Blue Efficiency models, he said he would appoint three new Mercedes dealers in early 2009, one each in Cork, Galway and Wexford. He added that the poor state of the Irish economy made predicting the market for 2009 very difficult and that if car registrations exceed 100,000 next year, many in the motor industry would be very happy. He said there 56,000 Mercedes-Benz cars on Irish roads, with 36,000 of them less than six years-old. He predicted that 2009 will be a year for aftersales service and that dealers will be putting a huge effort into improving the service they offer to the existing Mercedes drivers. With the introduction of a range of new models coupled with the impact of major price reductions across a range of popular models, the company is facing 2009 with optimism. Major developments in the pipeline include the arrival a new E-Class, E-Class Coupé and a revamped S-Class, the introduction of low-emission Blue Efficiency models in the C-Class and new E-Class segments in addition to the new dealers In the line-up for 2009 are face-lifted versions of the A-Class, B-Class and M-Class ranges along with revamped SL, SLK, CLS and CLC models, all of which can now be seen in dealer showrooms. Later in the year, a number of new models will make their appearance, beginning with a new E-Class, E-Class Coupé and face-lifted S-Class. The target date for the arrival of the new E-Class is late summer. Also arriving mid-year will be the revamped S-Class. Following on will be the new E-Class Coupé with the volume-selling 250 diesel version set to arrive in September/October. Another model to be rolled out is the new M-Class Business - a model adapted from the popular M-Class SUV. Visually identical to its SUV sibling, the M-Class Business sells at an ex-works price of €39,500 (excluding VAT) with road tax of just €200 per annum. Pitched at those who seek style and luxury up front matched to a practical load space at the rear, the new M-Class Business will appeal to vets, tradespeople, farmers and other professional and commercial users. Inside, rear seats have been removed and replaced by a flat floor while rear side windows are blanked out to obscure the view of the load area. Price reductions introduced in the wake of recent VRT and road tax changes have seen the price of C-Class, E-Class and new CLC diesel models drop by very significant amounts. In the C-Class range, the C200 CDI has gone down to €40,070 ex-works from €48,630. In the E-Class range, the volume-selling E220 Diesel has dropped to €45,670 from €61,000. Other models to benefit from these reductions include the CLK 220 CDI at €46,655 (reduced from €64,415), the CLC 200 CDI at €33,640 (from €44,235) together with A-Class and B-Class diesels, and SLK and M-Class models. Mercedes is forecasting a tough year for the motor industry. The company believes the combination of price reductions, the introduction of Blue Efficiency low-emissions technology and the arrival of new and face-lifted models, however, will provide greater opportunity in the year ahead.