Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius outlines new model offensive amid sales slump

Mercedes-Benz chief executive Ola Källenius presented the company’s upcoming model offensive at the design centre in Sindelfingen, saying all future models will retain the classic star‑grill and declaring the plan the biggest in the brand’s history. He said the new product programme will see more than 40 new vehicles launched worldwide by the end of 2027, calling it a “product fireworks” that will fuel growth.

However, the latest sales figures show a continued decline. In the first half of the year Mercedes sold 837,200 cars, down 7%, with Chinese sales dropping 28%. The automotive division’s adjusted EBIT fell 38.5% to €1.8 billion and revenue slipped 5.1% to €45.9 billion, reducing operating margin to 4.0% from 6.2% a year earlier. The share price fell below the value of the former Daimler‑Truck unit for the first time, reflecting market concerns over the slowdown in China, an unfavourable model mix and higher costs to keep older models on the market.