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mish said:
The Facelift is coming summer 07....MY 08
The ML63 wont eat into Turbo sales as it appeals to a a) different kind of driver and b) looks like rubbish.
The Turbo S just came out - I can't imagine many people would be very happy spending $130k to see a new shape come out 3 months after a model introduction.
Luxury SUV sales in general have declined significantly (high gas prices have not helped) - so the Cayenne is following normal trend.
Not all SUV sales have dropped. Look at this announcement from Mercedes about the sales volume of their ML's in January 2006:
"In 2005, Mercedes-Benz significantly enhanced its competitive presence in the luxury light truck market with the launch of an all-new design of its popular M-Class model line and took advantage of the opportunity to create a new segment with the introduction of its R-Class, Grand Sports Tourer. Sales for Mercedes vehicles in the luxury light truck segment continue to gain momentum with a 156.6 % increase over January 2005."
Last numbers I saw for Porsche showed a very significant drop for the Cayenne.
I do think the ML63 will cut into the sales of the overpriced Cayenne Turbo, just as sales of the ML 350 and ML 500 have cut into the sales of the Cayenne and Cayenne S. The ML will cost around $40,000 less than the Cayenne Turbo S, yet has better acceleration. Over at a Mercedes discussion group, a lot of the potential buyers of the ML63 had also considered a Cayenne, myself included. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A lot of people do not like the looks of the Cayenne.
Not meaning to bash the Cayenne. I would seriously consider the face-lifted model. I just don't think I want to wait another 16 months.
Phil
