“Chairman Lee Jae-yong also fell in love”… If I succeed, I also want to participate in the ‘final king’ battle, the winner is [왜몰랐을카] – Maeil Business Newspaper

In the ultimate battle of imported cars, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class once again proved its presence as a ‘four-dimensional wall’ that is difficult to overcome.

The BMW 7 Series, which was expected to be the star of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, had to be satisfied with ‘Number 2’ again. On the 16th, the Kaizuyu Data Research Institute, which uses automobile statistics from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, compared the performance of the 7th generation of the BMW 7 Series for the first year since its launch to that of the Mercedes-Benz S. This is the result of comparing the class.

A total of 2,840 units of the BMW 7 Series were sold during the first year of its launch (from November of last year to October of last year). During the same period, 9,563 units of the 7th generation Mercedes-Benz S Class were sold, more than three times more. It is a landslide victory for the Mercedes-Benz S Class.

Looking at sales performance from January to October of this year, the BMW 7 Series is outside the top 20 in the imported car rankings with 2,565 units.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class ranked fourth with 7,775 units, following the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (19,117 units), BMW 5 Series (16,702 units), and Tesla Model Y (9,544 units).

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In the electric vehicle (EV) flagship competition, 1,530 units of the Mercedes-Benz EQS and 646 units of the i7, a BMW 7 Series EV model, were sold during the same period. As expected, it was an overwhelming victory for the Mercedes EQS.

The BMW i7 received a disappointing report card in that it received the praise of Chairman Lee Jae-yong.

The BMW i7 equipped with Samsung SDI batteries is used as a work vehicle for the heads of Samsung affiliates. It served as an opportunity to solidify the title of ‘King of Success’.

Chairman Lee Jae-yong also attended the ‘BMW i7 first vehicle delivery and Samsung affiliate business vehicle delivery ceremony’ held at the BMW Driving Center (Yeongjongdo, Incheon) on December 17th last year to give strength.

Brand pride battle since the 1970s

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Both models appeared in the 1970s. The Mercedes S-Class debuted in 1972 and the BMW 7 Series debuted in 1977. Both models were armed with the title of ‘first and best’ from the start.

The first generation of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class adopted the V8 6.9-liter gasoline engine, which has the largest displacement among German cars. It was also equipped with the world’s first anti-lock braking system (ABS).

The first generation of the BMW 7 Series, a latecomer, was the first to apply the circular twin headlamps and kidney grille, which are features of BMW models. An electronic speedometer and speed-sensitive power steering were also installed for the first time in the world.

The second generation of the BMW 7 Series was the first German sedan to be equipped with a 12-cylinder engine, and the third generation was the first sedan to adopt both a V8 diesel engine and a common rail injection system.

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In the 2000s, when competition between flagship sedans became fiercer, the model that emerged victorious was the BMW 7 Series. The 4th generation of the BMW 7 Series is considered the most successful flagship sedan and ranked first in sales in the global luxury car segment.

However, starting in the 2010s, the Mercedes S-Class began to gain the upper hand. A similar pattern appeared in Korea.

Until 2013, the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S Class recorded similar sales performance. The situation changed with the introduction of the 6th generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class at the end of 2013.

The equation ‘flagship sedan = Mercedes S-Class’ has begun to be established. The BMW 7 Series attempted the 6th generation in 2015, but it was not enough.

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Looking at the domestic sales of the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (excluding high-performance models), the Mercedes-Benz S-Class took the lead with 2,287 and 2,625 units, respectively, in 2010.

The BMW 7 Series won with 2,349 and 2,281 units in 2011, 2,254 and 1,842 units in 2012, and 1,920 and 1,835 units in 2013.

In 2014, when sales of the 6th generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class began in earnest, sales of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class more than doubled at 1,895 units and 4,238 units. In 2015, the gap widened further to 1,830 units and 8,829 units.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class completely surpassed the BMW 7 Series with 3,293 and 5,665 units in 2016, 3,193 and 5,793 units in 2017, and 2,239 and 6,289 units in 2018.

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Mercedes-Benz S-Class sales surged after the 7th generation was released in 2021. The number exceeded 10,000 units in 2021. The BMW 7 Series did not sell even 3,000 units.

The gap widened nearly four times to 10,543 and 2,690 units, respectively. Last year, the gap did not narrow to 11,645 units and 2,996 units.

The two models are also competing with Hyundai Motor Group’s Genesis G90, which won the title of car that is successful in Korea.