BERLIN — Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler plans to unveil a new business group comprising the AMG, Maybach and G-Class subbrands at the Munich auto show in September.
The move will streamline marketing costs and is part of Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius’ strategy to boost productivity and profitability, with a focus on high-margin sales.
AMG boss Philipp Schiemer is expected to lead the group.
AMG is Mercedes’ performance brand, Maybach is a rival to Rolls-Royce and Bentley, and the G-Class portfolio consists of luxury off-road vehicles.
“Strengthening the subbrands is an important pillar in the Mercedes-Benz strategy,” a Daimler spokesperson told Automotive News affiliate Automobilwoche. “We will not only maintain the independence, strong identities and evolved corporate cultures of the individual brands, but also further expand and sharpen them.”
“Currently, we are in the process of designing it and evaluating the potential in the various areas,” the spokesperson added.
It is not yet clear what formal corporate structure the new group would take. There are no current plans to spin off the unit after it is established, Automobilwoche sources said.
The reorganization comes as the first electrified Mercedes-AMGs debut this year, with a U.S. market launch expected in 2022. The new hybrid powertrain is derived from the power pack of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One racecar.
Mercedes rolled out the new Maybach S-Class in November 2020 with the debut of the Maybach S 580 4MATIC sedan, which competes with the Bentley Flying Spur. Mercedes has sold more than 60,000 Maybach S-Class sedans globally since 2015.
Unconfirmed reports from around the Web also suggest Mercedes is planning to offer an electric version of the G-Class utility vehicle, which could be called the EQG.
Further reorganization efforts are underway at the German automaker.
In May, Mercedes announced it was merging its global marketing and communications activities into one unit under the leadership of Bettina Fetzer, the automaker’s marketing boss.
The aim of the realignment is to have a uniform global presence for the Mercedes corporate brand and its product brands, the automaker said.
As part of a larger plan to streamline and digitalize the sales and distribution process, Kallenius said during an interview with Automotive News Europe that Daimler is planning to develop the “agency” selling model in a number of European countries.
Kallenius said Mercedes-Benz had received positive feedback from agency model pilot projects in Sweden and South Africa. He said the company plans to put the model in place officially in a number of markets in Europe and Australia.