The head of German automotive concern Daimler, Dieter Zetsche, expressed optimism about the automobile industry's outlook for 2008 as the annual Detroit Motor Show geared up for action on Sunday, according to dpa. The company had good opportunities in the United States, he said. The Stuttgart-based automobile company recorded its 14th consecutive sales record in 2007 when it exported 253,400 vehicles - an increase of 2 per cent - to the US. Zetsche said that the three all-terrain vehicles in the M class, the GL and R class, which are equipped with the particularly clean Bluetec Diesel Technology, are to become licensed in all 50 states this year. Mercedes Benz Cars wants to overhaul six models in 2008 and launch two entirely new vehicles on the market - the CLC Coupe as well as the small cross-country vehicle GLK which is being presented in Detroit as part of a series study, Zetsche added. "The GLK is the right model at the right time," Zetsche said in reference to booming sales in the smaller cross-country vehicles. Zetsche also said that Mercedes-Benz want to achieve an operating margin of 10 per cent in 2010. He stressed that the flagship S class had sold 58,500 units in 2007 - a increase of 30 per cent over BMW and Audi with their top models 7 and A8 together.
