Mercedes-benz follows audi's lead in price cuts

Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co Ltd on Sunday announced a voluntary reduction in the price of selected repair parts in response to the Chinese government's anti-monopoly investigations into the automobile industry.

The company took the action following a similar move a week ago by German rival Audi as the industry faces antitrust probe pressure from the Bureau of Price Supervision and Anti-Monopoly of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Starting Sept 1, the new measure will reduce the price of more than 10,000 selected replacement parts for the entire Mercedes-Benz vehicle lineup. These include windshields, power steering systems and radiators, which will enjoy reductions of 29 percent, 24 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

Audi's price cuts focused on China-made models' spare parts, with reductions of up to 38 percent starting on Friday.

"Led by our customer-oriented strategy, we at Mercedes-Benz continue seeking new ways to deliver the best customer experience possible," said Marc-Oliver Nandy, executive vice-president of after-sales at BMBS.

He said this measure reduces the price of selected repair parts by average of 15 percent, further reducing the total cost of ownership and increasing the competitiveness of the company's after-sales services.

- Li Fangfang