From left: Cai Suping, vice-president of BAIC and senior executive vice-president of Beijing Benz Automotive Co, Frank Deiss, president and CEO of Beijing Benz Automotive Co Ltd, singer Jolin Tsai, Annette Winkler, global head of smart, Bjoern Hauber, executive vice-president of sales and marketing at MBCL, Jutta Benz, the great-granddaughter of Carl Benz, Klaus Maier, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd, Phillip Schiemer, vice-president of marketing at Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars, and Fu Qiang, executive vice-president for sales and marketing at BBAC, present the Mercedes-Benz exhibition booth at the Guangzhou auto show on Nov 21. Photos Provided to China Daily

Jutta Benz, the great-granddaughter of Carl Benz, and Klaus Maier, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd, with the Benz patented Motor Wagen, the first car in the world.

A Mercedes-Benz CLS 300 attracts a number of visitors during the event.

125-year-old Motor Wagen leads the way to stunning lineup at Guangzhou show

GUANGZHOU - When Jutta Benz, the great-granddaughter of Carl Benz, joined Klaus Maier, president & CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd (MBCL), in driving the Benz patented Motor Wagen - the first car in the world - on stage at the Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition, the scene brought the audience back in time to 125 years ago when the auto giant's historic heritage began.

The testament to Mercedes-Benz's legacy, the Motor Wagen's presence at the show yesterday further reinforced the carmaker's legend and demonstrated the three-pointed star's unwavering pursuit of perfection.

It also opened the way to illustrating Mercedes-Benz's passion for the future as the carmaker unveiled a star-studded lineup showcasing 33 models from its four brands of Mercedes-Benz, smart, AMG and Maybach in a 2,100 square meter booth.

"As the inventor of the automobile, Mercedes-Benz has stood at the forefront of the auto industry since its birth, both globally and now in China," said Maier.

"We achieved sales of 156,635 units in China in the first 10 months of the year, up 36 percent year-on-year and with strong growth across our entire range of models, already surpassing our total 2010 sales. The great success can be attributed to our excellence in all aspects, including our rich and innovative product lineup and high-value services, as well as an extensive, strong dealership network," he said.

The growth came despite a slowdown in overall passenger vehicle sales this year after a boom fueled in part by government tax cuts and subsidies. After two years of double-digit growth, the overall market registered increased sales of just 4.4 percent in the first 10 months of 2011.

Also to mark the anniversary, Bjoern Hauber, executive vice-president of Sales & Marketing at Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd, together with Fu Qiang, executive vice-president, Sales & Marketing, for Beijing Benz Automotive Company (BBAC), released a Mercedes-Benz 125-year Anniversary Package at the show.

"The best way to celebrate the luxury icon's birth is to give back to valued customers, so carmaker is offering customers who buy any Mercedes-Benz or AMG car from now until Nov 20, 2012, the Mercedes-Benz 125-year Anniversary Package, which includes an extended three-year warranty," said Hauber.

"Mercedes-Benz's commitment can also be seen in further cooperation between MBCL and BBAC, through which we are consolidating our knowledge and experience to better serve the needs of the Chinese market, bringing greater benefits to our all-important customers," said Fu.

"We are happy about the progress achieved so far, which has helped steer the development of the locally produced C- and E-Class, as seen in the encouraging sales performance reported recently," he said.

The locally made E-Class had a year-on-year increase in sales of 164 percent in the first 10 months, while the new generation C-Class showed promising increase as well in October.

Mercedes-Benz is also enlarging its eco-friendly lineup to maintain its lead in the development of sustainable mobility in China.

"With the launch of the all new CLS sports sedan and the all new SLK, now nearly 50 percent of all Mercedes-Benz model lines in China are equipped with Mercedes signature BlueEFFICIENCY technologies," said Hauber.

The all-new CLS 300 & 350 models are equipped with V6 BlueDIRECT engines and 7G-TRONIC PLUS transmissions, offering more efficient, smoother driving that also elevates driving pleasure.

In terms of design, the all-new CLS is an unforgettable style icon with a striking and distinctive exterior that exudes both elegance and dynamism.

The all-new SLK roadster combines light-footed sportiness with a perfectly proportioned, more aggressive masculine bodyline.

Equipped with four cylinder or six cylinder direct injection engines, as well as a series of BlueEFFICIENCY technologies, the new SLK boosts strong power with lower fuel consumption.

The smart forvision that created a sensation at the 2011 International Motor Show in Frankfurt made its Asian premiere at the Guangzhou show, demonstrating smart's futuristic perspective and sustainable strategy on the road to zero emission mobility.

The model's solar-powered roof is one of the concept car's most eye-catching features.

It is the first light-transmitting roof that also generates energy with the help of hexagonal solar cells covering the entire roof surface.

The forvision is also a world's first when it comes to lightweight design and unique concepts - it is equipped with all-plastic wheels suitable for high-volume production, resulting in a considerable weight reduction of 3 kilograms per wheel.

In addition to its tridion safety cell, components such as vehicle doors are made from reinforced carbon-fiber epoxy resin, a high-performance composite material.