Setting the top benchmark for auto engineering

Q+A: NIcholas Speeks

What does the S-Class stand for in China today?

Well it stands in China for the same things it stands for in the rest of the world. I mean the icon for the automotive industry - it's the benchmark for what automotive engineering can produce. It always has been that way, for Mercedes-Benz, a very innovative brand and company.

Always it's been the car with which we've presented the public with the innovations the people now take for granted.

If you think about things like automatic braking systems, airbags and electronic stability control that people take for granted now in many cars, these things were first introduced in the S-Class.

So it's iconic and it's always stood for the latest technology that is reflected in the car's safety or in the dynamics of the car, so that's what stands for I think in China.

What kind of market performance are you expecting out of the new S-Class?

Obviously expectations for this car are high and we're very confident with it in China.

Chinese customers have always been appreciative of the S-Class, as 50 percent of our production worldwide is delivered to customers in China.

You should also know that in the development of the model back in 2011 we took 100 Chinese customers and showed them the car.

We got their feeling - what they like, what they don't like, what they feel is important, what is not so important - and the car is developed for the first time with the standard as the long wheelbase.

2013 has been a "product year" for Mercedes-Benz. What others can we look forward to in the coming months?

This year, we will bring the first diesel models to China and we still have some additions to the S-Class range, which will be coming out later on, such as the S 63. Next year we will also have new additions to the S-Class family, as well as an all-new C-Class.

I should also say that we plan to have 20 new face lifted or new models coming out by 2015.

Every year we have something new, and next year will not be any different. It's an exciting time to be at Mercedes-Benz and I feel very lucky to be the CEO.