*Justin* schreef op 3 oktober 2014 08:59:
Daimler AG (DAI)’s Smart brand plans to introduce more models and expand its sales network in China as the producer of two-seater compact city cars seeks more orders in a market dominated by SUVs and minivans.
The maker of Mercedes-Benz cars plans to bring to China an electric version of its two-seater Smart Fortwo and a new four-seater being developed with Renault SA (RNO), head of Smart Brand Annette Winkler said in an interview. Smart expects to boost annual sales in the nation by 15 percent annually, on average, in the next few years by tapping demand in cities with a population of more than one million, she said Aug. 10.
Smart plans to have 100 sales outlets in about 75 Chinese cities by the end of this year, compared with 88 showrooms in 68 cities now, Winkler said.
“There are 160 cities with more than one million people, and many of them lack parking space, have high density and are culturally very open,” she said in Nanjing in eastern China. “All this fits together.”For Daimler, which doesn’t break out Smart’s earnings, the small vehicle brand has given the company access to younger buyers and allowed the carmaker to meet carbon-dioxide emission restrictions. Smart started as a joint venture with Swatch Group AG, which sold its holding shortly after the brand was introduced.