Mercedes-Benz: Import Duty Reduction = Equipment Enhancements

MELBOURNE: Mercedes-Benz today announced that from 1 January 2010 its Australian new passenger car catalogue will incorporate increased equipment levels to deliver even greater value for customers.

The managing director of Mercedes-Benz Cars in Australia, Mr Horst von Sanden said: �Our customers have told us that they prefer increases in equipment levels over any short-term price reductions or resale-damaging discounting.

�Our current Price/Value strategy, which commenced with the release of the current-model C-Class, has been successfully continued this year with all-new E-Class and new-generation S-Class,� he said.

�Since June 2009 we have factored the planned import duty reduction into the pricing of specific models by enhancing standard equipment levels. The new E-Class sedan and coup�including the yet-to-be-released E 63 AMG, and the new-generation S-Class were the first result models to receive this duty-reduction benefit. For example, in the case of the E 63 AMG sedan, we are offering our customers $32,000 in added value over the outgoing model and the new S-Class has continued this strategy.

�In the normal course of business we would have been required to pass on a price rise from 1 February next year. Three important factors have allowed us to absorb this planned increase into our pricing: A very sharp eye on our local costs, listening to our customers, and the close cooperation of our Stuttgart head office,� said von Sanden.

�The net result for our customers is that our prices will not change in the short-term despite increased equipment and specification levels.

�With our SUV range (ML-, GL- and R-Class) our customers have for some time enjoyed the benefits of the zero-tariff US/Australia Free Trade Agreement, offering stable pricing, rich standard equipment levels and tailored option packages designed for maximum value. These specific product measures have brought us many new customers from other marques.

�We have some exciting new model releases across our model range in 2010 and our customers will again benefit first-hand from our ongoing Customer First policy.

�Our customers have high expectations of our brand; they expect benchmark levels of safety, prestige, luxury, technology, comfort, driving enjoyment and, importantly, value. Through our genuine price/value strategy, our next fifty years in Australia will see us continue to deliver on this promise to our customers,� concluded von Sanden