[greenhorn]

why couldnt they have come up with something more interesting like these
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/intern...nt-ad-war.html

[S350L-E240]

GTO,

The reason I said too soon was 1. MB had the main bread and butter model for a full replacement and the W211 was a inferior product compared to the 5. Also like I said they had almost 6 months without a dealer in a market like Ahmedabad / Gujarat. etc.

Also the fact that they are a newer brand in India is also more of a positive as a lot of people want the new thing on the block. Including people in my family who bought the previous gen 7 over the new S not due to the car but only that BMW is new.

Not really taking away any credit from BMW, hats off to them and like I said the only people who will benefit out of this is US. In the end what I notice is suddenly MB is also getting very proactive with the new ML, GL, S, E, SLS, S Guard (pointless press release IMO), upcoming E Coupe etc.

I also think to counter the F10 and the 320D Corporate MB should get in the classic trim for C180CDI and also the E200/200 CDI in classic for the higher segment. And a dream base variant would be a S350CDI in SWB. Strip it out of most features which are not important and price it around 60L Ex showroom and see that segment blow up.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Sahil

So the 3 series has finally overtaken the C-class ?! I missed that epic moment as I haven't been following the sales chart thread of late.

Look up my report here. The corporate ed 320d has turned the tide in BMW's favour.

Originally Posted by AirWind

Could the BMW overtaking Merc be attributed to the emergence of self driven car owners and/or the new ownership from salaried white collar?

I don't think so. BMW's emergence has to do with:

- Offering a more modern product in the crucial 40 - 50 lakh segment. The previous gen E-Class was getting a li'l long in the tooth.

- A new breed of younger buyers / opinion makers. It's a known fact that BMW has superior appeal to the younger gen, and is sportier / yuppie of the two.

- More relevant CBUs. BMW's X5 outsold the M Class like 10:1 in some months.

- Outstanding 3 / 4 / 5 year all-inclusive service plans.

- Super-aggressive marketing & promotions. More recently, the 0% financing and 320d corporate edition comes to mind.

- A better trim level, especially at the time of launch. Didn't Merc sell the C without electric-retractable mirrors until very recently?

Originally Posted by hiren959

I personally like the 7 series for ultra luxury

Me thinks you should take a spin in the 7 & the S. The latter is substantially more luxurious (if that's what you are looking for). The 7 is sportier.

Originally Posted by Speeding@160mph

Given the choice to pick between a BMW/MB on competing offerings in a segment my picks would be as follows

1. C > 3
2. New 5 > New E
3. 7 > S

I couldn't agree more with your choice.

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Guess what was on the ET's front page today & this comes after yesterday's BMW advert

Attachment 294017

Attachment 294018

See, that's exactly what I mean? It's all about one-upmanship between the two brands now. Could you post the ad that was placed by BMW the day before?

Originally Posted by S350L-E240

Also the fact that they are a newer brand in India is also more of a positive as a lot of people want the new thing on the block.

I don't know how much of an effect "the new kid on the block" has. If it was substantial, it would have worked more in Audis favour than for BMW.

[theragingbull]

BMW was always ahead of Merc in advertising for cars. One of the main strategies for sales. Even cars like the M3, New 7 series, 5GT saw full page ads in leading newspapers. While rigorous advertising was also done for the 3 and 5 from day one! I also see a poster advert of different BMW cars in Autocar every month.
Merc has now started giving full page ads otherwise i had hardly seen Merc ads in newspapers until last year( Besides from Dealer ads)

[RakishRam]

Originally Posted by GTO

It's egos at play here

precisely. to sense of it, just talk to the sales guys at BMW. For e.g, sales chap Jeevan of BMW bangalore will use each and every oppurtunity to have a go at Mercs

Originally Posted by GTO

and it doesn't get better than this. Better for whom? US, the customers.

Do agree, question is will this all translate to reasonable pricings, as it used to be a decade ago - ~20L for C class and ~30 for E class.

Originally Posted by GTO

- A new breed of younger buyers / opinion makers. It's a known fact that BMW has superior appeal to the younger gen, and is sportier / yuppie of the two.

Can I slightly disagree here? if BMW is appealing to the so called younger buyers (read well paid salaried class), wouldn't the 3 series be selling more than C-class? It was not the case till BMW introduced 3 series corp edition.
Also, if the same crowd is the target customers for BMW, wouldn't they consider manual tranny 3-series, which was an option in C-class until recently?

[Sheel]

^^OT-
is Audi far behind in the race?

[smalhotra_93]

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Guess what was on the ET's front page today & this comes after yesterday's BMW advert

Attachment 294017

Attachment 294018

I still firmly believe that even after being in India for so many years , Merc has retained its charm .

BMW , in such a short time , has lost its presence and is making rubbish car ( my opinion ) . A merc has more '' Taur " than a BMW .

[ajmat]

At this price point - 3 loses in terms of leg room so only owner drivers who are in the minotiry drive this. Hece C class wins. Audi had a chance but it does not look "royal"

E class is a luxury car - merc makes no pretences. New 5 tries to be both. Reviews don't really go over the top, saying great car but no major advance over the predecessor.

End of the day, price point, "latest" release, looks good dictate sales

[Speeding@160mph]

Originally Posted by ajmat

End of the day, price point, "latest" release, looks good dictate sales

That's the nail being thoroughly hammered on the head!

For the Indian Buyer who doesn't give a stink about driving but just the luxury factor - the above 3 points are key determinants in choosing between the big 3!

[ImmortalZ]

Wow, that MB ad is terrible. Am I the only one who noticed the thoroughly amateur chop work on the wheels? For a 1CR+ car, this is the best they could do? No wonder their sales are slipping.

[Technocrat]

Originally Posted by GTO

See, that's exactly what I mean? It's all about one-upmanship between the two brands now. Could you post the ad that was placed by BMW the day before?

Oops I was referring to the BMW advert that you had posted, I thought it was posted in this week.

[rjalihal]

Merc C class did not have electric retractable mirrors until recently? You gotta be kidding right? I know its a small thing but yet something luxury cars must come with. I feel BMW offer more features and with the warranty as well as trim levels is a mouth watering choice for those who can afford!

[canonball]

MB is completely stingy on features and always defensive than proactive in their execution. I think in overall ownership costs BMW score better than MB a fact that is going hurt MB for a while.

In India being nimble is what this decade has been all about so anyone who gets the game right will do well i.e BMW. MB is going completely regressive kicking out old dealers is not a good sign whatever may be the internal reality which MB had 16 years to fix and not go about changing so many dealers between 2008 and now!!!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Sheel

^^OT-
is Audi far behind in the race?

Audi's SUVs (Q7 and Q5) make up for a good number of their sales, followed by the A4. Audi is catching up, but clearly has their work cut out.

Originally Posted by smalhotra_93

BMW , in such a short time , has lost its presence and is making rubbish car ( my opinion ) .

BMW is making a "rubbish" car? Let's make sensible informed posts out here instead of merely saying "rubbish car". And if you do feel so, kindly provide valid reasons.

Originally Posted by rjalihal

Merc C class did not have electric retractable mirrors until recently? You gotta be kidding right? I know its a small thing but yet something luxury cars must come with.

My '05 C220 has electrically retractable ORVMs. When Merc launched the all new gen (currently sold C Class), it wasn't equipped with the said feature. I believe they have recently corrected this gross overlook.

Originally Posted by canonball

I think in overall ownership costs BMW score better than MB a fact that is going hurt MB for a while.

They sure do. All thanks to the 3 / 4 / 5 year all inclusive BSI packages.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by ImmortalZ

Wow, that MB ad is terrible. Am I the only one who noticed the thoroughly amateur chop work on the wheels? For a 1CR+ car, this is the best they could do? No wonder their sales are slipping.

i noticed it too. pretty stupid if you ask me.