375 inhabitants of Canada purchased or leased a Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4Matic in October. That takes the total for 2009 over 4,000. Which means Mercedes-Benz is only missing out on 33,110,000 other potential buyers. Subtract the unlicensed and we’re still left with millions of consumers in just one country who either have not yet or will not ever purchase or lease a Mercedes-Benz GLK. Yet the GLK is Canada’s most successful small luxury SUV. Clearly we don’t measure success in products like this the same way as we do with, say…. Coca-Cola or Windows 7. So how does Mercedes-Benz do it?
Well, pricing their product at $42,900 helps. Here’s the Benz’s Sales Stats from October of 2009 along with its most direct competitors. Check out the equivalent U.S. totals (sans Land Rover) here.
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Mercedes-Benz GLK350: 375
Audi Q5: 232
BMW X3: 206
Acura RDX: 173
Infiniti EX35: 165
Volvo XC60: 91
Land Rover LR2: 38
Any idea of the waiting period for the GLK 350? I was told recently that in Ottawa to get an Audi Q5 in March 2010 the order would have to be placed in November 2009.