Author: David Miles
Published: 30 October 2008
Half of the top ten selling SUV/4x4’s in the UK are still large heavyweight models. Whilst the overall sector has fallen by 16.5% this year, the heavyweight sub section by 9%, business users or the affluent retail buyers still want their executive 4x4s – for now anyway.
Of the heavyweights in the top ten the Land Rover Discovery leads the way, followed by the Range Rover, the BMW X5, the Mercedes Benz M-Class followed by the Audi Q7.
Mercedes-Benz has just introduced their mildly revamped and restyled 2009 model year M-Class 4x4s to the UK market at prices ranging from £39,735 to £77,455. The main selling ML 320 CDI Sport model costs £44,285.
Reflecting the past ordering patterns of UK customers the M-Class range has been rationalised and is more focussed to what customers really order. The previous standard specification has gone leaving new versions of the SE and Sport model lines which offer a higher and a greater difference in specifications than before. If the UK buying pattern continues Mercedes-Benz said Sport specification will be chosen by 80% of customers.
The ML 350 petrol engine has been deleted from the range although the 388hp V8 ML 500 and ML 63 AMG 510hp versions remain, each accounting for just 1% of total M-Class UK sales. The revised engine line-up is the ML 280 CDI, V6, 190hp, which will take around 31 per cent of sales, the ML 320 CDi, 224hp, V6, 59 per cent and the ML 420 CDI V8, 306hp, 8%.
Mercedes-Benz are never keen to talk about sales predictions even when the market is buoyant so in its recessionary state there is no clear idea on where the market is going in the near future.
Simon Oldfield, sales director for Mercedes-Benz Cars UK said this week at the media launch of the new range, “If anybody makes a prediction now, given the state of the new car market, they must have 20/20 vision. We have traditionally sold around 5,000 M-Class units a year in the UK and so far in the first nine months of this year we have sold 3,500 vehicles.
"Having older customers from the retail and business sectors isn’t a bad place to be currently because these buyers traditionally have more disposable income and seem to be less worried about making a new car purchase.”
He added, “M-Class owners will not accept loss of performance so only a minor revision has taken place for CO2 emissions on V6-engined SE models and Sport variants are CO2 neutral despite larger wheels.
"Of our M-Class customers 79% are male with an average age of 50 years and 60% of them own or run their own business. We think by having a greater difference in the SE and Sport specification lines the Sport will attract younger buyers and the SE will attract traditional owners.
“These changes show that we have reacted quickly in a positive way to be successful in today’s market” he said.
Prices increase by £250 on V6 SE models but have £1,850 more equipment value as standard and there is no price increase on V8 SE variants. The new higher specification Sport models now command a £2,500 premium over SE but they have £1,070 extra equipment value said Mercedes-Benz UK.
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