In an effort to streamline marketing costs and boost sales and productivity, Mercedes-Benz’s parent company Daimler is reportedly looking to merge the Mercedes-AMG, Maybach, and G-Wagen sub-brands into a new business group – and the announcement could be made as early as September at the Munich auto show.
According to Automotive News Europe, although the three sub-brands have different target buyers, Daimler’s CEO Ola Kallenius believes they could work better in a single management body as they are all focused on the upper echelon of vehicles and high-margin sales. AMG’s current boss, Philipp Schiemer, is expected to lead the group.
“Strengthening the sub-brands is an important pillar in the Mercedes-Benz strategy,” a Daimler spokesperson told Automotive News Europe‘s sister publication, Automobilwoche. “Currently, we are in the process of designing it and evaluating the potential in the various areas.”
And while nothing is confirmed just yet, the spokesperson did say that they will “not only maintain the independence, strong identities and evolved corporate cultures of the individual brands, but also further expand and sharpen them.”
It is still unclear what form of formal corporate structure the new group will take, although sources told Automobile News Europe that there are currently no plans to spin it off.
This restructuring plan comes during a period of change for Mercedes-Benz. AMG is on the verge of introducing its first electrified performance models (both plug-in hybrid and full EVs), while the Maybach brand is also looking to reinvent itself with two new models – the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class and GLS – to better compete against the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce.
Check out Mercedes-AMG’s electrification plans here.
Meanwhile, word on the grapevine is that the G-Wagen will also moving towards the fully-electric route, likely to be dubbed the EQG.
Despite the restructuring process, though, the new luxury group is unlikely to affect product development in any way that might impact consumers – at least not from the get go. We’d imagine that this will strictly be a business decision for now, but who knows what the future might hold.
