“If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” said Daimler Group chairman Dieter Zetsche at a press conference marking the launch of the new S Class by Mercedes-Benz Korea in Seoul on Wednesday.

He was talking about Korea being a market where customers are demanding customers and very savvy where Internet technology is concerned. And given Korea’s IT prowess, it makes sense for the German carmaker to learn and build on telematics and other driving solutions by building a Mercedes-Benz research and development center here, he said.

The remarks came after Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Britta Seeger said the company plans to open such a facility in the first quarter of 2014. Starting with just three to five personnel, Seeger said she expects further expansion.

“When it comes to digitalizing and connectivity, it’s fair to say that there are two centers ― one being the U.S. and the other being Korea,” Zetsche echoed, adding that this was why it operates a 200-person R&D center in Palo Alto, California.

The new facility, along with a new training center, a new parts distribution center under construction and more social contribution, was cited as the four pillars for doubling Mercedes-Benz sales here by 2020, Zetsche said.

The German carmaker aims to sell more than 40,000 units in Korea by 2020, based on figures of this year’s target sales of 24,000 units. Korea is currently No. 5 for the German brand in terms of E-Class and S-Class sales.

The newly revealed sixth-generation S-Class was the first full-change in eight years for the German carmaker.

The outer appearance stayed true to the class S-Class lines, but new assistance systems and significantly enhanced functions will allow for a “Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive,” company officials said.

Touching on Daimler’s recent acquisition of a 12 percent stake in Beijing Automotive, a top China partner firm for Hyundai Motor, Zetsche stressed that Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai are not competitors.

“Except for very limited segments, we don’t see a conflict of interest,” the chairman said. “We do not intend to interfere with Hyundai in any form.”

By Kim Ji-hyun (jemmie@heraldcorp.com)