Mercedes makes government purchase list
By Gong Zhengzheng (China Daily)Updated: 2007-03-17 09:30
Locally-made Mercedes-Benz sedans were put on the Chinese government's
purchasing list on Friday, giving an extra boost to the German luxury brand's
fast-growing China sales.
Beijing-Benz DaimlerChrysler Automotive Co Ltd, a joint
venture assembling the Mercedes-Benz E280 sedan in Beijing, said in a statement
that the move will break the monopoly of another German luxury car brand Audi in the fleet
of high-ranking Chinese government officials.
The move will provide the
joint venture a "sustainable and stable" growth, it said.
BMW, the other
German luxury car brand made in China, has not been put on the governmental
procurement list.
The government purchasing sector is a hot battleground
where domestic and foreign automakers have been competing fiercely. Last year,
governments at all levels in China spent 70 billion yuan on vehicles, according
to industry data.
Mercedes-Benz's China sales, including those in the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region, surged by 52 percent year-on-year to
4,800 units in the first two months of 2007, Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd said on
Friday.
The strong performance in China overtook Japan as the brand's
biggest market in Asia-Pacific, the company said.
Meanwhile, sales of its
S-Class sedans in China more than doubled to 2,230 units, keeping the nation No
2 in the world S-Class market.
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