Earlier this week, Mercedes-Benz USA and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC announced plans to launch Mercedes-Benz Collection, a luxury subscription service that will allow customers to switch in and out of vehicles depending on their “needs and lifestyles.” The program will debut as a pilot in Nashville and Philadelphia.
“With multiple subscription tiers available in each location, subscribers can choose from a broad array of Mercedes-Benz offerings including SUV, sedan, coupe, cabriolet, roadster and wagon models,” said the company. “Each tier will also allow access to the company’s popular high-performance Mercedes-AMG models.”
Mercedes isn’t the first luxury car brand to announce a subscription service – in fact, it’s one of the last major luxury brands to the subscription party. Its omnichannel customer support for the program, however, is a good model for the way luxury car customers want to communicate today: using a mix of human customer support and technology.
“The Mercedes-Benz Collection experience is equal parts app- and concierge-driven,” said the company. “Once subscribed, customers initiate vehicle exchanges, concierge communication and other actions via the app. Concierge staff then ensure that the delivery is consistent with the details and preferences in the customer’s profile.”
Subscribers to the service will have unlimited access within the “tier” they choose (though there were no details on what the tiers are) and no mileage limitations. Staff will deliver new vehicles to the subscriber’s location. The monthly subscription fee will also include insurance, round-the-clock roadside assistance and vehicle maintenance.
The company has not yet outlined how much the service will cost. While’s Volvo’s subscription service runs about $600 monthly, it’s expected that Mercedes’ program will be priced similarly to those of its luxury competitors: Access by BMW and Porsche’s Passport subscription programs carry $2,000 per month price tags. Book by Cadillac, announced early last year as one of the first luxury subscription services, costs users $1,500 per month. Cadillac expanded out of its pilot markets in October after a successful launch.
