- Daimler has not yet decided about the future of the Maybach brand, says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler. But Smart is "more feasible today than any time before," he said.
- Zetsche said Maybach sales are between 300-500 units per year and that "we are not running at the levels which we planned when we launched the product."
- But he described Smart as "the right product for the right time."
NEW YORK — Daimler has not yet decided about the future of the Maybach brand, said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler during a media roundtable discussion here on Tuesday. But Smart is "more feasible today than any time before," he said.
"We are not running at the levels which we planned when we launched the product," Zetsche said when asked about the health of the luxury brand.
He said the automaker sells 300-500 Maybachs per year and that the "whole segment (sells) less than 2,000 units per year."
"How the future of this brand will look like is not decided yet," Zetsche said. "No final decisions yet."
When discussing the future of Maybach, Zetsche said it "might be prudent to exchange views (with other luxury carmakers)" such as Aston Martin.
The Maybach brand has produced some of the most exclusive automobiles in the world, typically with price tags in the $400,000 range. The EPA says a 2010 Maybach 57 with a 5.5-liter V12 returns 10 mpg in city driving and 16 mpg on the highway and costs $4,948 per year in fuel costs.
On the opposite side of the Daimler product spectrum, tiny Smart is doing well, Zetsche said.
"We are convinced that Smart is more feasible today than any time before," he said. "It's the right product for the right time. We are optimistic about the next generation."
Zetsche said Americans may be ready for smaller A and B segment cars from Mercedes-Benz.
"We are just a few months from now launching the first of four family members of the new generation of compact cars from Mercedes," he said. "We can tap new customer segments within the compact car segment. That includes new regions, as well as the United States. It's not finally decided, but it's likely that all four of these vehicles could see the United States market as well. We see a vast opportunity in this regard. Even though I don't think the U.S. market will turn upside-down, there is more emphasis on compact cars than 10-15 years ago."
During the wide-ranging discussion, Zetsche also complained that the automaker "cannot fulfill demand for the (Mercedes-Benz) C-Class family."
Inside Line says: Maybach sounds as if it needs some serious intervention, but Smart is alive and well.
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cz_75 says:
07:19 AM, 06/22/2011
Smart may be okay for Europe, Asia and some large US urban centers where congestion and lack of parking is an issue, but the Smart really doesn't offer much elsewhere in this country since the economy is negligible compared to other, large and more practical vehicles and less than electrics, which can only prosper in the same urban, congested environments where absolute range is a non-issue.
mardani977 says:
11:16 PM, 06/21/2011
The problem with the folks at Daimler they thought the cache of price and a little extra bling would be enough to keep people interested in the Maybach and they were not prepared for how quick the interest would fade. If I had the money and had my choice betweem a super lux sedan like a bentley with Audi mechanicals or a Rolls with BMW mechanicals or a Maybach that is a badge engineered vehicle, I would have to say Rolls or Bentley would be the only ones I would consider, they look nothing like the cars that they share mechanical bits with, where as the Maybacks remind me of the car in the first National Lampoons Vacation movie when they are roadtripping to Wally World, clearly their wagon was based on a production model but it was made to look over the top and ended up looking hideous. The only thing that would get me in the same dealer as a maybach would be to go to the Mercedes side of the showroom to buy an S class and maybe an SL for the same money so I could have an every day driver and my fun weekend car.
ambee514 says:
08:19 PM, 06/21/2011
Damn you Global Economic Downturn!!!!!! I really wich this story read the other way. Maybach kickin A and taking names, Smart suckin D and goin no where!
mirde98 says:
06:38 PM, 06/21/2011
Hey, if they bring the new Smart with AC, manual tranny, a nice radio, for $6,000, I will buy one!
desmolicious says:
06:18 PM, 06/21/2011
The problem with the Maybach is that it just looks like an S class Benz, but bigger and uglier.
dagmar3 says:
01:22 PM, 06/21/2011
Six years ago, the smart brand had incurred over 2 Billion (Euro) in losses. And they haven't exactly set the world on fire since then. And yet Zetsche says:
"We are convinced that Smart is more feasible today than any time before." "It's the right product for the right time."
No, it isn't the right combination of anything. The transmission is still the world's worst. And the brakes are also awful. fuel mileage isn't spectacular for all you give up.
The "concept" of smart may be solid; but it's execution is still a badge of shame for Daimler.
altimadude05 says:
12:23 PM, 06/21/2011
The bad thing about selling A and B class cars in America is that they only really work for singles or couples in big cities. Especially if you can buy a base Ford Fusion for the price of a Smart car.
throwback says:
11:55 AM, 06/21/2011
Sounds like maybach is destined to become Lagonda,.. or Packard!