Cai Che faced growing troubles: He remarked that "Mercedes returned to the first place ten years later."

"The next decade will be Mercedes-Benz's decade. By 2020, Daimler will not only maintain its top position in profits, but will also return to the top position in the global premium luxury car market in sales." Frankfurt Time 9 On the evening of the 13th, Cai Che, the global president of Daimler Group, said for the first time that Mercedes would like to return to the first place.

Cai Che sees the top three of the luxury cars. In the face of the strong growth of rivals BMW and Audi in the world, Cai Che did not set specific targets for 2020, but repeatedly stressed that it was the first standard. “In the next decade, Mercedes-Benz will launch a series of products. Ten newer models. In addition to market share and sales volume, Mercedes-Benz has to achieve the world's top ranking in comprehensive indicators such as customer satisfaction, technology leadership, and vehicle design.

The performance in the first half of the year made it impossible for Cai Che to “quietly decide”. According to statistics, Mercedes-Benz's global sales increased by 10% to 610,531 units in the first half of the year. Audi's sales rose rapidly. With 18% growth rate and sales of 652,970 units, it exceeded Mercedes-Benz, with BMW's 18% growth rate and 68981 sales. Continue to stay first.

In 2020, it is crucial for BMW. According to its “Global First” plan formulated in 2007, BMW Group’s sales volume will reach 2 million units by 2020. According to media reports, BMW's goal and advance to 2016, the latest target in 2020 is 2.6 million units.

Audi's plan is even more radical. CEO Steader said that Audi's goal in 2014 is 1.5 million units, and in 2020 it will reach 2 million units. Audi's goal to its 200 most important suppliers is that its sales volume reached 1.6 million units in 2012, almost double that in 2005, and sales in 2013 will reach 1.7 million units.

At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi's Director of Global Markets and Sales, also said in a high-profile manner that due to the strong sales momentum in the first eight months, Audi increased its global sales forecast for 2011 to 1.3 million units, an increase of 100,000 vehicles. Audi's sales exceeding expectations mean that the brand will sell more than 1.5 million units by 2015.

Facing the strong growth of BMW and Audi, Cai Che has his own understanding of Mercedes's loss of first place. "There is a time when the quality has indeed declined, and at that time it may be hoped that we can gain a certain status in the entire production and sales, and have some influence on each other."

Facing the competition, the traditional and noble Mercedes began to “spectate” itself. It is reported that Mercedes-Benz will add 10 new models to different segments in the next four years. Only 5 new models will be added in the compact sedan segment, of which four will target younger users. Taking Maybach as an example, news from Frankfurt shows that Mercedes is negotiating with Aston Martin Motor Company about the cooperation plan of Mai Mahe. The most likely solution is that Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin will cooperate to produce the second-generation Mai Mahe. Currently, based on the styling of the next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Martin has designed four concept cars for Maybach.

Smart, which is important for the rejuvenation of the Daimler Group, is equally important in the next decade. "We want to increase sales volume through the smart fortwo and smart forfour, and make our own contribution to the increase in the group's total volume," said Smart Global.

In 2010, smart world sold 100,000 units, exceeding the planned 10,000 units. From 2014 onwards, Smart will have three versions of the models sold in the Chinese market, including the original smart electric version, the new smart fortwo and the new smart forfour - to increase the contribution to the parent company.

The bypass of the Sino-US effect on the way to the world's first, in addition to the elimination of the other, the success or failure of the European market, the performance of the two major luxury car market in China and the United States, will determine the position of Mercedes-Benz. The aggressive Audi is the most obvious example. Its sales growth can not be separated from the two major markets - the relatively weak US market, and the Chinese market, which always stays ahead. The most direct manifestation of the importance of the Chinese market for Audi is that China will replace Germany as Audi’s largest market in 2011.

In the Chinese market, Mercedes-Benz has to solve the problem of further localization. “Regardless of imported cars or domestic cars, the Mercedes-Benz brand is the Chinese market.” After Mercedes-Benz announced that it would unify its channels in China, Cai Che first stated that Mercedes-Benz has finally taken the first step and is confident to form such a joint force. , the unified wholesale organization, but the legal form or the main form of the sales and wholesale company that Mercedes-Benz and Beiqi will soon establish is still not conclusive.

"In the economic sense, since wholesale is a management function, Maybach should not be a single company, or should be put together. This is only theoretically so, but the specific legal entity of the company in the future is In what form, there is still no conclusive conclusion.” Said Cai Che for this reporter’s question on whether non-Mercedes brands such as smart, Maybach, and AMG are to be merged into independent sales companies and the future functions of Mercedes-Benz China.

With the recovery of the U.S. economy, Audi sold 75,256 units in the United States in the first eight months of 2011, and this year's sales will increase by 10% from 101,629 units last year. Audi's substantial sales growth in the United States has come mostly from the redesigned Audi A8, the new Audi A7 and the A6. These models account for 26% of Audi sales, a 13% increase over 2008.

In the United States market, Mercedes-Benz is faced with the problem of expanding into more segmented markets. The young audience is a very important area. In this regard, Mercedes-Benz has plans to practice. According to the plan, Daimler will sell the new Mercedes-Benz compact A-Class and B-Class sedan in the US market in 2013, including the new Mercedes-Benz B-class sedan that was just displayed in Frankfurt.

Analysts believe that with the Mercedes-Benz A and B-class vehicles entering the U.S. market, and maintaining the annual launch rate of a new model, it will ignite the market in the United States in the next two to three years.