2025年8月14日至15日，梅賽德斯-奔馳(賓士)（Mercedes-Benz）執行長康林松在接受德國媒體專訪時，罕見直言中國車市正陷入一場「達爾文式」的殘酷競爭。他形容當前局勢是上百家車企同場混戰、降價成風的惡性循環，導致整體行業難以健康發展，也讓奔馳在華業務遭遇前所未有的壓力。

從市場現狀來看，中國汽車產業雖然是全球規模最大的單一市場，但在新能源浪潮推動下，已有超過100家車企積極爭奪份額。大規模的價格戰幾乎成為常態，尤其本土新能源品牌快速崛起，以高性價比與快速創新能力，不斷衝擊傳統豪華車市場。奔馳的劣勢在此被放大——其電動車在中國的月銷量僅約1000輛，遠不及新勢力品牌的動輒數萬輛。與此同時，消費者對高檔豪華車的熱情明顯降溫，美國提高關稅的外部壓力與奔馳自身電動化轉型步伐偏慢，也進一步拖累了業績。數據顯示，2025年上半年奔馳營收在華同比下滑8.6%，淨利潤更是暴跌55.8%，跌幅為全球市場之最。

價格體系的瓦解尤為明顯。過去被視為豪華定位的奔馳，如今也不得不在經銷層面進行大幅度讓利。例如上海經銷商將奔馳A級車型報價壓低至12.56萬元，幾乎僅相當於原價的一半；C級、EQ系列等車款亦同步降價。這樣的價格下探不僅稀釋品牌的豪華形象，也讓經銷體系承受巨大經營壓力。唐山、東營、洛陽等多地門店因資金鏈吃緊或銷售乏力而相繼關閉，雖然奔馳對外回應稱這是「業務調整」，但市場普遍解讀為渠道困境的直接反映。

面對挑戰，康林松在訪談中強調，奔馳不會為搶奪市場份額而無限制跟進價格戰。他認為盲目降價會嚴重損害品牌價值，長遠來看得不償失。然而現實是，中國新勢力品牌如問界、理想、小鵬等，正在以極致的性價比和本土化優勢，迅速蠶食豪華品牌的市場空間。部分傳統豪華車經銷商甚至已開始轉向新能源品牌，尋求新的生存出路。這場由新能源推動的「價格內卷」正在徹底改寫中國汽車行業的格局，奔馳與其他跨國車企面臨的壓力，遠比以往任何時候都要沉重。

整體而言，這起事件不僅凸顯出奔馳在中國市場的掙扎，也折射出中國車市激烈競爭的縮影。隨著價格體系失衡、品牌定位動搖，以及新舊勢力的正面衝撞，未來的中國汽車市場或將迎來更殘酷的淘汰賽。

Between August 14 and 15, 2025, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius gave a rare candid interview to German media, bluntly stating that China’s auto market has descended into a “Darwinian” survival battle. He described the situation as a vicious cycle, with over a hundred automakers engaging in chaotic price wars, making healthy industry development nearly impossible and placing unprecedented pressure on Mercedes-Benz’s operations in China.

In terms of market conditions, China remains the world’s largest single auto market, but the rise of new energy vehicles has triggered fierce competition, with more than 100 automakers vying for market share. Large-scale price cuts have become the norm, particularly as local EV brands rapidly expand with high cost-performance and swift innovation, directly challenging traditional luxury marques. Mercedes-Benz has been hit especially hard—its EV sales in China average only about 1,000 units per month, far behind domestic newcomers, which often sell tens of thousands of units. At the same time, consumer enthusiasm for premium luxury models has waned. Combined with the impact of U.S. tariff hikes and Mercedes’ relatively slow transition to electrification, the company’s performance has suffered. In the first half of 2025, its revenue in China fell 8.6% year-on-year, while net profit plunged by 55.8%, the steepest drop across all global markets.

The collapse of Mercedes’ pricing structure has been striking. Once positioned firmly as a luxury brand, Mercedes has now been forced into heavy discounting at the dealership level. In Shanghai, the A-Class is being offered for as little as 125,600 yuan—roughly half its original price. Other models, including the C-Class and EQ series, have also been slashed. Such aggressive discounting undermines the brand’s luxury image while simultaneously placing enormous strain on dealerships. In several cities, including Tangshan, Dongying, and Luoyang, showrooms have shut down under financial pressure or sluggish sales. Though Mercedes has publicly described these closures as “business adjustments,” many interpret them as a sign of deeper structural challenges.

Faced with this crisis, Källenius emphasized in the interview that Mercedes would not blindly engage in price wars for the sake of market share. He argued that excessive discounting would irreparably damage brand value and prove unsustainable in the long run. Nevertheless, the reality is that Chinese newcomers like AITO, Li Auto, and Xpeng are aggressively capturing market share with unbeatable value propositions and local advantages. Some traditional luxury dealers have even shifted allegiance to domestic EV brands, accelerating an industry-wide reshuffle. This “price spiral” driven by new energy players is fundamentally reshaping the competitive landscape, placing Mercedes and other international carmakers under more pressure than ever before.

Overall, the situation highlights both Mercedes-Benz’s struggles in China and the broader upheaval within the Chinese auto market. As price systems collapse, brand positioning weakens, and old and new players collide head-on, the Chinese auto industry is likely headed for an even harsher elimination round.