Mercedes-Benz launched a new model that combines the features of a sports coupe and a sport utility vehicle (SUV) in the Chinese market on Monday, expanding its product portfolio as the luxury German auto producer strives to sustain sales success in China.
The new Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe officially hit the world's largest market at a launch event held at the Mercedes me, a fancy establishment in Beijing that the carmaker opened earlier this year in a bid to attract more consumers.
The new model is a "perfect" combination of design elements from two different models: a multifunctional SUV and an emotively appealing coupe, Mercedes-Benz said at the launch event.
The launch of the GLC Coupe is part of Mercedes-Benz's drive to expand its product portfolio in the largest single market for the brand under the umbrella of Daimler AG. It comes on the heels of a successful year so far for the company.
In the first 10 months of 2016, sales of Mercedes-Benz cars grew by 29.3 percent year-on-year to 387,015 units, surpassing its full-year sales in 2015, according to data released by Daimler last week.
But the growth pace so far this year was down from 35 percent last year, when sales in China contributed 20 percent of Mercedes-Benz' global sales.
In a bid to sustain last year's success, Mercedes-Benz has been vigorously targeting the Chinese market, bringing in new models this year across the segments.
