JEDDAH, 22 September 2005 — Dealers have termed the outlook bright for the luxury segment of the automobile market. “There is lot of liquidity in the market thanks to the strongest ever economy as a result of rising oil prices,” one of them explained yesterday.
Demand has been so high that even before the launch of a model, orders have been pouring in. Mercedes-Benz’s 2006 model cars are one example. “We’ve a total of around 3,500 S-Class available for sale in the Middle East within the first four production months and have taken in excess of 2,200 orders for it in the region even before its launch,” Chris Vallance, regional sales manager, Mercedes Car Group, DaimlerChrysler Middle East FZE, told a press conference at the launch of the new S-Class at the Mercedes-Benz showroom of Juffali Automotive Company.
With prices for the S350 starting at around SR319,000, the S-Class offers “unbeatable value in its class and will continue to convince the driving public that for style, innovation and value the only address in town is that of Mercedes-Benz.”
He described the new S-Class, the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz brand, as the best luxury limousine in the world. “It’s a beautiful car engineered to provide its customers with wonderful aesthetic pleasure together with the satisfaction derived from owning and driving a superb machine at the forefront of the automotive industry,” he said.
The 7G transmission and the total driveline provide a driving dynamic, particularly coupled with the all-new 5.5 liter V8 engine in the S500, to “excite even the most sedate driver,” he added.
The recent International Motor show in Frankfurt testifies to the strength and flair for the ongoing product offensive from Mercedes-Benz, which earlier this year launched its all-new ML with great success and introduced the B-Class into selected markets in the Middle East. “Both cars reflect our passion for excellence and our continued ability to design and engineer cars that are unique in their combination of beauty, practicality and innovation,” Vallance added.
“The new models and the attractiveness of our core products in the C- and E-Class ranges will mean another record year in the region with sales totaling 14,500 cars,” he said.
Looking forward to the months ahead, the new R-Class and GL from Mercedes-Benz will provide “added temptation to automobile owners, and with a range of new models we’ll maintain our leading 35 percent share of the competitive market,” he said. “The launch of the S-Class also marks our total commitment to our authorized network in the region.”
In terms of safety and comfort, the new innovative systems available on the car include the second generation pre-safe system and the infrared night vision as well as aids such as the reversing guidance camera, Farouk Sughayyar, national sales manager, Mercedes-Benz Car Group, Juffali Automotive Company, said.
The optional night view assist system addresses potentially hazardous situations by allowing the driver to see where he is going even when he is dazzled by oncoming headlamps. The “Night view assist” illuminates the road with infrared headlamps whose light beam is invisible to the human eye. The scene monitored by the infrared camera is projected as a grayscale image onto an eight-inch multifunction display in the instrument cluster. This image provides the equivalent of full-team illumination.
