Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob  ...Come on MM, you and I both know that Mercedes is desperate to take on BMW/Audi's market .....they can't stand their rivals beating them in this extremely lucrative market segment. |
I think your interpretation of the market segment differs to mine. I'm talking in terms of age of the buyer, not vehicle size. It sure is a lucrative market segment, but consists of buyers form 20-70+. As you previously stated, the Mercedes C-class typically appeals to an older (45+) demographic whereas the A4 and 3-er would on average appeal to a buyer at least 10 years younger. Mercedes new strategy allows them to go for this younger buyer (Avantgarde), without losing the qualities that appeal to their traditional customer base (Classic & Elegance). Short of creating a completely separate vehicle, this is the best compromise of all 3. Mercedes is definitely trying very hard to capture as much of this market as they can.
Also remember the TRUE dynamics package for the C is not yet available (a major marketing mistake I believe, but perhaps will tie in nicely with the launch of the upgraded/new engines) and will further narrow the close dynamic gap between the 3-er and C.