Mercedes-Benz Korea "Confident as No.1 Imported Car for 5 Consecutive Years" (Comprehensive)

Silakis CEO "Launching 9 New Models and 6 Facelifts This Year"... Supporting Startup Discovery

Dimitris Silakis, President of Mercedes-Benz Korea

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] "Based on last year's sales performance, South Korea has emerged as one of Mercedes-Benz's top five markets. As a result, the Korean market is gaining prominence internationally."

Mercedes-Benz Korea expressed its determination to maintain its position as the number one imported car brand in the domestic market for the fifth consecutive year by launching nine new models and six facelift models this year. The company also plans to strengthen its efforts in discovering domestic startups and expanding its mobility business.

Dimitris Silarakis, President of Mercedes-Benz Korea, stated at a press conference held on the 14th at the EQ Future Exhibition Hall in Garosu-gil, Seoul, "In 2020, we will continue the innovation we have pursued so far and aim to reward our customers with the best products and services. In particular, we will discover Korean startups through a global platform to contribute to the Korean economy."

The event was attended by President Silarakis, Vice President Jo Myeong-ah, Head of Network Development & Digital House Division, and Vice President Mark Lane, Head of Product & Marketing Division, among others.

Mercedes-Benz recorded a historic high sales volume of 78,133 units last year, a 10.4% increase compared to the previous year, achieving the number one position in imported car sales for four consecutive years. This marks the fourth consecutive year since 2016 that the company has set a new sales record. Among these, the best-selling E-Class family led sales with 39,788 units. Mercedes-Benz's market share in the imported car market increased by 4.77 percentage points from 27.15% the previous year to 31.92%.

Vice President Mark Lane commented, "The key was to provide customers with the widest, most comprehensive, and market-appropriate portfolio. As a result, we recorded the highest monthly sales for imported cars in December with 8,421 units."

To solidify its top position, the company plans to release nine new models and six facelift models this year as well. Notably, the 'The New Mercedes-Maybach Pullman,' a symbol of luxury limousines, and the 'The New Mercedes-Maybach GLS,' a premium sports utility vehicle (SUV), will be introduced in Korea for the first time. 'The New Mercedes-AMG GT C' and 'The New Mercedes-AMG GT R' will also be launched domestically for the first time.

Investment in qualitative growth will also increase domestically. President Silarakis stated that they will strengthen closer cooperation to revitalize the domestic startup ecosystem and expand open innovation. Daimler Group, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, has been building a system for discovering and collaborating with startups through the 'Startup Autobahn' platform since 2016. Startup Autobahn is the largest startup nurturing platform in Europe, having discovered over 5,500 startups. This year, the platform will be introduced in Korea to continue collaboration with startups.

President Silarakis explained, "Startups selected in Korea for Startup Autobahn will participate in Daimler Group's Startup Autobahn, which means Korean innovation will expand globally."

Additionally, President Silarakis presented plans to utilize solar energy to create an electric vehicle charging environment. Starting this year, solar panels will be installed at the Mercedes-Benz Korea Vehicle Delivery Preparation Center located in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. The plan is to supply all the electricity needed during the delivery process of pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles sold domestically entirely through solar energy.

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz Korea unveiled the innovative safety test vehicle ‘ESF (Experimental Safety Vehicle)’ for the first time in Korea at this press conference. President Silarakis said, "Mercedes-Benz has often been the first to introduce new safety technologies that have become industry standards. As a pioneer in safety, we will continue our journey toward accident-free driving," emphasizing the company's commitment to investing in safety-related areas.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.