logo
Mercedes-Benz doubles down on high-end strategy in Korean market

Mercedes-Benz doubles down on high-end strategy in Korean market

Korea Herald24-04-2025
At the 2025 Seoul Mobility Show, Mercedes-Benz Korea gave visitors a glimpse of where luxury driving is headed. Alongside its latest premium models, the brand introduced a range of personalized services designed to reflect the evolving tastes of Korean consumers.
This initiative is part of Mercedes-Benz Korea's broader strategy to elevate its luxury positioning in 2025. By launching high-end vehicles and tailored experiences, the company continues to align with its global vision: 'The world's most desirable cars.'
Leading the lineup was the Korean debut of the fully redesigned second-generation Mercedes-AMG GT — a bold, two-door coupe that delivers true sports car performance while staying rooted in the brand's signature design DNA.
Also making its debut was the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupe. With clean lines, powerful performance and cutting-edge technology, the model is set to launch in Korea in the second half of the year.
Taking exclusivity to the next level, Mercedes-Benz Korea showcased the limited-edition AMG E 53 Hybrid 4MATIC+ Edition 1. With just 10 available in Korea, the model pairs hybrid innovation with striking design and is priced at 160.8 million won ($112,000).
To meet growing demand for personalization, the brand also presented its flagship 'Manufaktur' customization program, giving discerning customers the opportunity to match every detail — from leather texture to interior finishes — to their individual tastes.
Sales continue to underscore the brand's strong presence in Korea. The 11th-generation E-Class was once again the best-selling imported model in 2024, maintaining its top spot for the tenth consecutive year. The G-Class recorded a sales high of 2,613 units, with both the G-Class and Mercedes-Maybach surpassing 10,000 cumulative sales in the country.
The S-Class also led sales in the imported full-size internal combustion sedan segment, according to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association.
Since 2016, Korea has been the third-largest global market for the S-Class, following only China and the United States — further proof that Mercedes-Benz remains the preferred choice for Korea's luxury drivers.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Seoul's foreign minister, Koizumi discuss shared economic priorities
Seoul's foreign minister, Koizumi discuss shared economic priorities

Korea Herald

time8 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Seoul's foreign minister, Koizumi discuss shared economic priorities

Japan's agricultural minister calls for Seoul to lift ban on Japanese seafood imports ​​South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shinjiro Koizumi exchanged views on overall bilateral ties between Seoul and Tokyo and ways to enhance economic cooperation, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Monday. Cho held separate talks with Koizumi, who visited South Korea on Monday afternoon, at the Foreign Ministry building in Seoul. 'The two ministers also exchanged views on mutually interesting agenda items in the economic sector and emphasized the need for close communication between the two countries on matters of common interest and pending issues,' the Foreign Ministry said in a Korean-language statement, without sharing further details. However, Koizumi further disclosed Monday that he and Cho 'conducted a frank exchange of opinions regarding various issues between the two countries,' following the meeting on his official X account. 'I called for the lifting of import restrictions on Japanese marine products and raised the matter of the safety of Japanese food products," Koizumi said in his Japanese-language post. 'Toward the resolution of pending issues since the Great East Japan Earthquake, I will steadily build up progress one by one,' Koizumi added, referring to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster. In September 2013, South Korea banned all seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures — Fukushima, Ibaraki, Gunma, Tochigi, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Chiba — due to concerns over radiation contamination following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant meltdown. Koizumi embarked on his three-day trip to South Korea on Saturday to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Food Security Ministerial Meeting on Sunday in Incheon. Koizumi also attended a trilateral meeting of agricultural ministers from Korea, Japan and China on Monday, which took place for the first time in seven years since 2018. 'Minister Cho stated that more active communication at all levels is necessary in order to develop Korea–Japan relations, which mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties, in a more solid, mature and future-oriented way,' the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said in the statement. 'Minister Koizumi said that he hopes that ways of cooperation between the two countries in various fields will be discussed in more concrete terms, expressing agreement with the view that at all levels there should be greater attention and discussions to advance a future-oriented development of Korea–Japan relations,' the Foreign Ministry added. Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries explained that Koizumi and Cho "exchanged views on various issues between the two countries, including trade issues" in its separate press statement. Cho's separate meeting with Koizumi commanded attention, in light of his rise as a contender to be the next leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, amid domestic political turbulence following the party's recent election debacle. The LDP-led coalition's loss of its upper house majority in a historic defeat in the July 20 election has left the fate of Prime Minister and party leader Shigeru Ishiba hanging in the balance. A recent public opinion poll conducted by Japan News Network on Aug. 2 and 3 among 2,531 people nationwide aged 18 or older found that Koizumi was favored, when asked who would be the most suitable as the next prime minister, should Ishiba step down. Koizumi topped the poll with the support of 20.4 percent of respondents, followed by former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi with 16.7 percent. The Foreign Ministry in Seoul previously explained that the meeting between Cho and Koizumi was part of Seoul's efforts to seek various high-level exchanges to forge a more solid and mature relationship between Korea and Japan. As the most pertinent example, Cho visited Tokyo on July 29 for a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya — the first destination of his inaugural overseas trip as South Korea's top diplomat. The choice was considered unusual, coming before his visit to Washington on July 31 to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Asahi Shimbun daily on Saturday reported, citing multiple Japanese government sources, that South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung is most likely to hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Aug. 23, before heading to the United States for his meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Seoul shares end lower ahead of key US data
Seoul shares end lower ahead of key US data

Korea Herald

time10 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Seoul shares end lower ahead of key US data

Seoul shares ended slightly lower Monday as investors stayed cautious ahead of US inflation data this week and the looming US deadline for imposing higher tariffs on goods imported from China. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 3.24 points, or 0.10 percent, to close at 3,206.77. Trade volume was light at 302.01 million shares worth 10.23 trillion won ($7.3 billion). Decliners outnumbered gainers 578 to 298. The KOSPI bucked Wall Street gains on Friday (US time), when the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.47 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.98 percent. Institutions and individuals sold a net 214.27 billion won and 142.42 billion won worth of stocks, respectively, while foreigners bought a net 216.86 billion won of stocks. "The KOSPI remained largely unchanged as traders kept a close watch on key inflation data for clues on the future path of the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy," Kim Byung-yeon, an analyst at NH Investment & Securities Co., said. Traders were also watching whether the Aug. 12 deadline for talks on US duties on Chinese imports would be extended, he said. US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose higher tariffs, citing China's purchase of Russian oil. In Seoul, large-cap stocks were mixed. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 1.11 percent to 71,000 won, but its chipmaking rival SK hynix surged 4.09 percent to 267,000 won. Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries lost 0.54 percent to 464,000 won, while Hanwha Ocean, the shipbuilding unit of Hanwha Group, tumbled 9.09 percent to 107,000 won. State-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp. shed 1.89 percent to 39,000 won, while leading steelmaker POSCO Holdings jumped 3.72 percent to 306,500 won. Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution gained 2.77 percent to 389,000 won, and No. 2 battery firm Samsung SDI advanced 3.21 percent to 225,000 won. The local currency was quoted at 1,388.00 won against the greenback at 3:30 p.m., up 1.6 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)

Korea seeks US leniency in polysilicon import probe
Korea seeks US leniency in polysilicon import probe

Korea Herald

time11 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Korea seeks US leniency in polysilicon import probe

South Korea has formally asked the United States to grant favorable consideration to Korean companies as Washington weighs potential restrictions on imported polysilicon, a key material used in solar panels and semiconductors. According to a document posted Friday by the US Bureau of Industry and Security, Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy urged the US to adopt a flexible approach toward Korean firms during its ongoing investigation into the impact of low-priced imports on the US polysilicon industry. 'Korea is a net importer of high-quality polysilicon from the United States. At the same time, Korea and its companies have established a secure supply chain for polysilicon to US importers and US companies,' the ministry wrote. 'If import restrictions on polysilicon are introduced, we respectfully request that special consideration be given to allow for flexible application to Korean companies.' The investigation, launched July 1 under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act of 1962, examines national security concerns related to imported goods. US officials have warned that low-cost polysilicon imports are forcing domestic plants to shut down. Global polysilicon prices have declined in recent years as China — which now accounts for nearly 80 percent of global supply — has flooded the market with state-backed, low-priced products. IBK Securities estimates Chinese polysilicon prices at around $5 per kilogram, compared with $18 to $25 per kilogram for equivalent non-Chinese products. In its submission, Korea warned that restricting polysilicon imports could undermine US efforts to boost domestic production of solar panels and semiconductors. It cited Korean companies, including Hanwha Qcells and OCI Holdings, that are involved in US solar projects. 'Korean-invested companies that are helping to grow US renewable energy and semiconductor manufacturing are importers of polysilicon, as well as consumers of US-produced polysilicon,' the ministry said. 'Broadly applied tariffs or other import restrictions on polysilicon risk disrupting supply chains that are important to both economic and national security.' Hanwha Qcells and OCI Holdings also filed separate statements to the bureau, stressing that their supply chains do not use low-cost Chinese polysilicon. Currently, Hanwha Qcells mainly sources polysilicon from OCI's Malaysian production facilities. Additionally, OCI's US subsidiary, Mission Solar Energy, manufactures solar modules in the US using polysilicon supplied from the Malaysian plant. Industry officials warned that sweeping restrictions could harm even allied nations' companies operating in the US. 'US polysilicon production is currently limited, while US demand for power is surging,' one industry source said. 'If broad import restrictions are implemented in this environment, even companies from allied nations that are building supply chains and investing in US manufacturing could face indirect damage.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store