Mercedes-Benz debuts Studio lifestyle concept in South-east Asia with Singapore branch
It is located at Gardens by the Bay and open to the public from Sep 2; new GLC electric vehicle also unveiled
[SINGAPORE] The first Mercedes-Benz Studio lifestyle space in South-east Asia was launched in Singapore on Thursday (Aug 20), alongside a new electric vehicle (EV) for the Republic.
Located at the SG50 Lattice, the venue will be open to the public from Sep 2 and is planned to occupy the space for a year. It is open on Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 10 pm, and Friday to Sunday from 8 am to 8 pm.
Marcel Luis Mustelier Perez, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Singapore, told The Business Times: “With Studio we are bringing the Mercedes-Benz brand to life for our customers and fans without being transactional about it. We want to create events and feature brand partners that are relevant to people and to the theme of ‘Welcome Home’.”
Welcome Home is the brand’s global initiative celebrating its 140th anniversary.
Besides featuring vehicles from the brand, Mercedes-Benz Studio Singapore will have various activities in cooperation with local companies and organisations. There is an on-site cafe, which becomes a bar at night.
Digital artwork from art collective Metamo Industries will be on show, and an interior space with home and decor partners Commune and Stacked Store. The cafe features a menu from fermentation bar Ferm.
The space’s first event will be a Community Weekend on Aug 29 and 30, which will feature the adidas Run Club, cycling brand Rapha, creative workshops and other activities.
South-east Asia’s only Studio
The Mercedes-Benz Studios are a chain of semi-permanent lifestyle and retail spaces located in major cities around the globe.
They are an initiative by the company to expand its branding with retail and cultural spaces outside conventional automotive showrooms.
The first Studio, in Germany’s famous Munich Odeonsplatz, opened in 2020. There are 12 other Studios around the world, with six in Asia-Pacific – Delhi, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo.
While some Studios feature car retail alongside lifestyle initiatives, Singapore’s iteration is focusing on the lifestyle aspect and does not have sales staff on site.
At the Studio’s debut on Thursday, Mercedes-Benz also unveiled a new EV, the GLC 400 4Matic Electric, which is the first fully electric variant of the GLC mid-sized SUV.
The car has 360 kilowatts (kW) of power and a quoted range of up to 687 km. An 800 volt charging system enables fast charging at up to 330 kW, with the ability to add more than 300 km of range in 10 minutes of charging.
Pricing starts at S$378,888 with a Certificate of Entitlement.
Perez added that the brand will introduce a range of new products to Singapore in the coming months, including replacements for popular models such as the C-Class sedan, and GLA and GLB SUVs.
Like its compatriot BMW, Mercedes-Benz has suffered a sales decline due to rule changes that reduce potential rebates and strong competition from China EV offerings.
