--FILE -- une jeune femme à la mode fait l'essai d'une Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG au cours d'une auto show à Beijing, Chine, 30 octobre 2013. Mercedes-Benz est peut-être l'un des t
--FILE--A trendy young woman tries out a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG during an auto show in Beijing, China, 30 October 2013. Mercedes-Benz may be one of the worlds most recognizable car brands, but it has had trouble getting noticed in China. Now, Mercedes is moving to change that. Much will depend on how the German brands China partner makes use of new capital. Chinas state-owned BAIC Motor plans later this year to raise about $2 billion in a Hong Kong share sale, according to media reports. Daimler, which owns the Mercedes brand, manufactures and markets luxury cars through a joint venture with BAIC and owns 12% of the Chinese auto company. Daimler has much to repair in China. Until recently, it was selling cars through two distribution networks that competed against one another. Its after-sales service scored poorly in surveys by J.D. Power, while analysts say the cars were too richly priced and then had to be heavily discounted. On top of it all, Mercedes is often viewed as an old persons car, unlike the more fashionable BMW or Audi, says Macquaries Janet Lewis. Mercedes sales were essentially flat in 2012 and increased only half as fast as rivals in 2013, otherwise a blockbuster year for Chinese autos. To change its stuffy image, Mercedes is set to launch 13 new or refurbished models in the next two years, including a sedan and a compact SUV that should attract younger consumers.
