Mercedes-Benz to roll out 3 replacement models

MBM president and chief executive officer Roland S. Folger said the company is on track to better its sales last year based on its first quarter performance.

Folger said MBM passenger car sales grew to 1,226 units in the first quarter ended March 31 from 1,089 units in the previous corresponding period last year, making it the company's best first quarter performance since 2003.

MBM sold a total of 6,970 vehicles in 2010, exceeding its best performance to date of 6,146 units in 2008.

"We did very well in the first quarter and we expect that to continue throughout the year," he told Business Times after briefing the media on MBM's Mercedes-Benz Concours in conjunction with the marque's 125th anniversary.

He did not name the replacement models or say when they will be introduced.

However, MBM will introduce so-called "start-stop" technology in some of the upcoming lineup.

Mercedes-Benz has over 50 different models with the "start-stop" technology but has yet to introduce it in Malaysia todate.

The system is designed to stop the engine when the car stops and then instantly restart it when the accelerator pedal is pressed.

Though such systems are often part of "mild hybrid" set-ups - where electric motors can provide the initial power at start-up - the Mercedes system is not part of a hybrid system.

Folger said MBM wants to introduce diesel hybrid models into the Malaysian market but only when the government can provide Euro5 compliant diesel.

Malaysia currently offers an untreated Euro2 compliant diesel fuel, which negates the benefits that current diesel hybrids can offer.

Mercedes-Benz has 12 hybrid models launched in Europe including the S-Class, C-Class, B-Class, E-Class, M-Class and the R-Class.

Meanwhile, the first "Historic Mercedes-Benz Concours 2011" to be staged on May 8 will see the largest ever convergence of the vintage three-pointed star marque in South East Asia.