FRANKFURT (AP) — Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche says he aims to make Mercedes the strongest luxury brand by the end of the decade.
Zetsche says Mercedes is launching 10 new entries in the next four years — including five compact cars — in its bid for volume. He refused to set a target, saying the goal was to produce more cars than premium competitors Audi and Porsche.
But he says the reason why the race is so tight between Audi, Porsche and Mercedes is the fierce competition within a 200-kilometer (125-mile) radius in Germany.
Zetsche said Tuesday at the Frankfurt Auto Show that emerging markets will be key to the volume growth, buthe expects to improve volumes in Europe with the compact range.
Mercedes aims to sell 1.35 million cars this year.
