In an effort to close a gap with segment leader Mercedes-Benz, BMW has just confirmed its plans to expand its luxury product line to include a car above the 7-Series that could move customers from the Maybach version of the S-Class to BMW showrooms.
BMW is attracted by the more lucrative margins that Mercedes earns on the Maybach versus its very popular S-class sedan, its future car would have to drive like a quintessential BMW.
Wealthier car owners in the uppermost sedan segments are typically conservative and prefer stately comfort to the agile handling that BMW considers so crucial to its image. About one of every two S-Class models is sold in China, where driving dynamics play almost no role in purchasing decisions.
Virtually all premium customers who buy the S-Class there have chauffeurs and traffic jams are frequent, eliminating any need for tight cornering, for example.
As a result BMW repositioned its 7-series flagship with the latest generation that launched in October, engineering a softer ride more like that of the S class. So far it has sold more than 9,000 units over about five months. Mercedes, by comparison, sold nearly 9,000 S-class units every month last year.
