2015-04-02Staff Report 2 WINDHOEK – Before the end of the year, Mercedes-Benz will expand its product range into a promising segmentby launching the first pickup from a premium manufacturer. Thanks to their versatility, all-round utility, and payload of about one metric ton, pickups are popular across the world and thus have good sales potential.The new Mercedes-Benz pickup will initially be targeted at markets in South Africa, Latin America, Australia, and Europe – all of which are posting sustained growth in this segment. The introduction of the bakkie will give Mercedes-Benz Vans the opportunity to reach a whole new customer in an entirely new segment. For Mercedes-Benz South Africa this gives them the ability to offer spectrum of products to suit not only their business needs but also cater for their lifestyle requirements – from a car, van, truck, bus and now the pickup.The mid-size pickup segment is currently undergoing transformation worldwide. More and more pickups are being used for private purposes, and commercial as well as private users are increasingly asking for vehicles that have car-like specifications. Mercedes-Benz is the first premium manufacturer to respond to this market shift by developing its own pickup. A similar example was the successful introduction of the M-Class around 20 years ago. As the first sport utility vehicle (SUV) from a premiummanufacturer, the M-Class completely redefined the segment.The Mercedes-Benz Vans division is responsible for the new vehicle. With its many years of experience in developing, manufacturing, and marketing vehicles that are used commercially as well as privately, Mercedes-Benz Vans is ideally suited to enter the mid-size pickup segment and launch a Mercedes-Benz pick-up on the market for the first time in the company’s history. Current models such as the V-Class and the Vito demonstrate that Mercedes-Benz Vans has the high level of expertise required to successfully serve customers from a wide variety of private and commercial sectors. 2015-04-02Staff Report 2
