A projected 2015 sales of 600 units of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class which launches in Ireland next week has factored into it difficulties in meeting demand,
writes Brian Byrne.
According to Mercedes-Benz Ireland's Ciaran Allen, there could be around 200 more units sold but currently allocated supplies don't reflect that.
The new car currently represents a fifth of M-B sales in Ireland, where the larger E-Class has traditionally been the best selling model, but Allen is expecting that this could rise to 30 percent, albeit at a cost of some poaching from E-Class sales.
"It's a longer and wider car, and it could take from E-Class customers," he told
Irish Car+Travel today at the Irish press launch of the car. "But globally the C-Class has the larger share, so we'd be getting into better alignment with that."
He believes there are 'many thousands' of previous C-Class owners out there, many of them waiting to change. Especially — as has also happened with the more expensive E-Class and S-Class models — those who have put off changing because of the economic environment.
"You might assume that because you haven't seen your customer for three or four years they must have gone somewhere else, but the reality is that we have a very loyal customer base who have delayed changing. What we have to do now is present them with an opportunity and a valid reason to change."
Those reasons can include the much greater efficiency of the new car, such as the 4L/100km 103g/km C220 CDI which is among the first of the versions to arrive on the Irish market. Road tax savings will add to the attraction of the frugal fuel consumption.
There's also the technologies that are available, filtered down from those revealed on the new S-Class launched earlier this year. There are new graphics for the infotainment display, an interactive touchpad and apps that give the driver online access to all forms of route planning, guidance, weather and traffic information. A ‘head-up’ display system that can project data directly on to the windscreen is an available option. With tunnels now a common feature, it has a mechanism that closes the air flap to prevent pollutants entering the passenger compartment.
Other optional features include new ambient lighting, an ‘air balance’ package, a high performance sound system an a 'toe-tap' boot opening idea. But how many people go for the techie stuff? Ciaran Allen says it's a 'reasonable' level of business, though most customers are happy with the standard high spec. "Most don't go for the extra packages, unless, for instance, somebody who does a lot of country driving might specify the automatic headlights."
The C-Class has always catered for the lower end of the traditional age profile of the Mercedes-Benz customer in Ireland, over 50 and with family raised. But the success of the new range of compact cars introduced over the last couple of years has definitely brought a new younger profile cohort to the brand here, and the new C-Class will be the 'bridge' to bring the more senior of them to the medium and large car lines. "We have products now for the younger generations, and for our very important heritage traditional customers. The new C-Class has been available in Europe now for about three months, and we know the reaction and that the demand is there."
The S-Class is also selling well, with an expected total of some 100 units for 2014, limited by supply. This compares to around 350 sold in the best year of the Celtic Tiger, and more recent years of 25 units or less.
Ciaran Allen is cautious about suggestions that this year's market will go to 100,000, saying that a 'real' market is more likely to be in the 80,000 position. But overall it's upward, whichever figure one takes.
The new C-Class goes on sale from €37,750 for petrol and €37,950 for diesels. At launch there's two petrol versions, C180 1.6-litre, 156bhp model at €37,750 with 116g/km C02 and 5.0 –litres/100km and annual road tax of €200 and a C200 2.0-litre, 184bhp version at €39,500 whose equivalent features are 123g/km CO2, 5.3-litres/100km fuel consumption and annual road tax of €270. The diesel is is a C220CDI diesel-powered 2.2-litre, 170bhp version at €43,300 whose many features include a 0.24 Cd value, 103g/km CO2, 4-litres/100km fuel consumption and €190 road tax.
Initial perceptions at the press launch suggest a very substantial improvement in interior design, and almost eerily quiet progress even along some rough surfaces in and around south County Dublin. More from the full experience.
