Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi successively announced their new car plans within almost 24 hours. Were they stimulated by something?

First, Mercedes-Benz announced plans to deepen its presence in China by investing over 14 billion yuan and introducing three new models and an “image-free” end-to-end smart driving system in the coming year.

The following day, Audi announced plans to create its largest product line-up in its history for the Chinese market, including locally produced Audi Q6L e-tron and the all-new Audi A5 family. After launching several new heavyweight cars at the Chengdu Auto Show, BMW also announced plans to launch a mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in 2028!

Clearly, BBA's successive announcements of new car models are no coincidence, as they demonstrate a firm commitment to the Chinese market and a clear direction for development.

Loss of market share in mid-to-high-end car models

Data shows that as representatives of luxury brands in China, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi have all encountered bottlenecks in their development in the Chinese market, particularly in terms of electric vehicle transformation, which has fallen short of expectations. In the first half of this year, both Mercedes-Benz and Audi experienced significant declines in sales year-on-year, while BMW maintained roughly the same sales volume as last year but at a considerable cost in terms of discounts.

More pressing than declining sales and hindered new energy transformation is BBA's loss of market share in traditional fuel vehicles, which poses the greatest crisis. By comparing data, “AutoTalk” found that BBA's best-selling 56E models in the mid-range sedan market, priced around 300,000 yuan, have all experienced significant declines. In the lower-priced segment below 250,000 yuan, models like the Audi A3 have fared even worse than last year.

The decline is even more pronounced in the SUV market. In the SUV market above 300,000 yuan, BBA has been significantly impacted, with sales of all BBA SUV models, except for the Mercedes-Benz GLC, showing a clear downward trend.

In the just-concluded month of August, while BBA has not released monthly sales figures, cumulative weekly sales data indicate that Li Auto has surpassed BMW and is on par with Audi. Li Auto's sales are concentrated mainly in its L-series SUVs priced between 250,000 and 350,000 yuan.

Another major concern for BBA is WENXIE, which is experiencing a trend of increasing sales as prices increase. The M9, priced at around 500,000 yuan, has sold over 15,000 units for five consecutive months, more than double the sales of the domestically produced BMW X5, and without any discounts.

It is difficult to imagine the impact on the sedan market when XJ and ZHIJIE mature, so BBA must strengthen its advantages while reclaiming the SUV market.

BBA is increasing investment in fuel vehicles

While new energy vehicles are the general trend, fuel vehicles remain the dominant force in BBA's current lineup. Therefore, in the past two years, BBA has continued to launch new fuel vehicle models.

At the Chengdu Auto Show, BMW unveiled the all-new BMW X3L. Given its slight disadvantage in intelligence, BMW hopes to win more market share through a new design and larger interior space.

For Audi, it has adopted separate naming conventions for fuel and electric vehicles, focusing on a dual strategy of both fuel and electric powertrains. Apart from confirming that the new A6L will retain its name, the A4L will undergo a complete redesign and be renamed the A5L, while the new Q5 will be introduced domestically as the new Q5L. This means that Audi's current domestically produced fuel vehicle lineup will undergo a comprehensive redesign in the coming years while retaining fuel powertrains.

With the support of two new platforms, Mercedes-Benz will make significant changes to its electric vehicles. However, in its new car plans for next year, the China-exclusive long-wheelbase GLE is undoubtedly the most anticipated model. According to sources, the long-wheelbase GLE will be developed and produced locally, with both fuel and plug-in hybrid powertrains expected. Clearly, the long-wheelbase GLE aims not only at the domestically produced BMW X5 but also at the WENXIE M9.

For BBA, continuing to strengthen its fuel vehicle advantages is indeed the right approach to maintaining its presence in the Chinese market. However, to regain market share, it must also focus on new energy vehicle development. Current consumer trends indicate that high-end new energy vehicles require higher standards in terms of in-vehicle technology and intelligence. Whether BBA's new platform models can significantly improve in these areas will be key to maintaining their position as a leading luxury brand group.