March 2013 marks record-breaking best-ever month and biggest quarter for Mercedes-Benz UK

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- Biggest month ever, at 18,655 new car registrations, up 15.4 per cent
- Biggest quarter ever, 28,698 new cars registered, an increase of 13.2 per cent
- Mercedes-Benz continues to be the fastest-growing premium brand
- Record monthly and year to date (YTD) market share of 4.7 per cent
- Record month for C-Class Coupé, CLS four-door Coupé, G-Class
- AMG registrations up 89.6 per cent YTD
- Registrations to private buyers increase 16.3 per cent YTD
- Vans record a strong March, with registrations up 3.8 per cent
- 199 Citans registered in the first full month of customer sales

Mercedes-Benz UK and its dealer network have achieved their best-ever record-breaking registration performance, according to figures released today by SMMT. March 2013 was the most successful in the company’s history, with 18,655 new cars being registered. This is an increase of 15.4 per cent over March 2012.

March topped a record-breaking quarter for the company, as 28,698 new cars were registered in Q1, which was 13.2 per cent more than the first three months of last year. The quarterly result eclipses the previous record, set at the end of 2012, by 2700 cars.

The stellar results mean that Mercedes-Benz continues to be the UK’s fastest-growing premium manufacturer, and in a buoyant overall new car market, recorded its best-ever month and year to date market share of 4.7 per cent. Likewise, registrations to retail customers were up 16.3 per cent.

The registration boost was reflected across the range, with sustainable levels of growth in all segments. The C-Class achieved 10th place in the overall registration figures for the UK in March and ninth place for Q1. Registrations, meanwhile, were up in all sectors. The CLS Coupé, for example, reported 1301 registrations – a record for March and for Q1.

High-performance purchases were up too, as AMG registrations increased by 89.6 per cent for the YTD. So far this year, 747 new AMGs have been registered, including 27 G 63 AMGs; marking an overall YTD AMG increase of 89.6 per cent.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO Mercedes-Benz UK, explained the results: “More new and returning customers than ever before are choosing to drive a Mercedes-Benz, and that’s great news for them, and the thousands of dedicated people we’ve got all over the country who work so hard to achieve these extraordinary results. Everybody’s hard work and effort is paying off. Making our attractive, exciting, affordable premium cars appeal to ever-more people is our mission and it’s a mission we’re continuing to meet head-on.

“Today’s results also show that we’re not dependent on one or two models to bolster the bulk of our sales volumes – we’re selling more cars to more people across the entire range. AMG appropriately continues to charge ahead, as does every vehicle in our portfolio that we’re volume-controlling by either its graduated introduction or phased run-out.”

Marcus Breitschwerdt continued: “We don’t take any of this success for granted, and are using the momentum of our new car registration results to continue to offer great deals on fantastic products through our UK network of excellent dealerships. We’ve a wide range of new cars ready to arrive in the UK too, and I’m looking forward to the opportunities and results throughout the rest of the year.”

Commercial vehicles

Mercedes-Benz vans rallied to a strong performance in March, with registrations increasing by 3.8 per cent to 5888 units.

The new Citan got off to a great start, with 199 new compact vans being registered in the first full month of customer sales. Over 200 Euro-V Vito Taxis have been registered YTD, over 26 per cent more than Q1 2012.

Actros led the heavy trucks divisions’ performance, with registrations rallying 60.8 per cent in March 2013, and up 2.6 per cent over 2012’s launch phase. Axor increased 5.3 per cent in March, and Fuso Canter registrations were up 17.6 per cent in the same month.

Marcus Breitschwerdt commented: “It’s encouraging to see that our vans division is delivering great results, and the first figures from our compact Citan show it is supporting the success of our established Vito [medium] and Sprinter [large] vans.

“Our heavy truck range is currently going through the biggest change-over in our history, and pretty soon the New Actros will be the ‘oldest’ product we offer – and it’s only just turned one year-old!

“At next week’s CV Show we’re showcasing a wealth of new products, showing that Mercedes-Benz is making enormous investments across the range to deliver efficient, safe, cost-effective commercial vehicles for operators that help drive British businesses forward.

“A new van or truck can be an important investment, and our team will be on site at the NEC in Birmingham to explain in detail how a new Mercedes-Benz can support their businesses.”

Credits: Mercedes-Benz UK

Copyright © 2013, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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Mercedes-Benz posts best sales month in the company's history in March 2013

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Mercedes-Benz delivered 139,920 vehicles to customers in the month of March, more than in any previous month (+6.5%). Thus, first-quarter sales were 3.5% higher than in the same period of the previous year (324,898 units).Despite the difficult start of the European automotive market into 2013 that remained below expectations, Mercedes-Benz was able to keep the previous years’ level and to gain market shares in Western Europe. This was due to the great success of the new compact cars. In the same period, the brand with the star posted strong months particularly in the NAFTA region, Russia and Japan. Therefore, Mercedes-Benz was the most registered premium manufacturer in Japan and the USA as well as in Germany. In China, the first quarter was affected by the reorganization of the sales structures and the upcoming model changeovers. Among the model series, increases were posted in particular by the new compacts and the SUVs.

“Our sales developed very positively in March, so that we again topped the strong result of the previous year and have posted the best month in our company’s history to date. We have never sold as many vehicles in a single month“, said Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing. “With strong gains in the USA and in many new growth markets, we were able to balance out weakening European markets and the sales decrease in China and have posted yet another sales record in the first quarter.”

In the NAFTA region, Mercedes-Benz saw the strongest first quarter in the company's history with sales of 78,193 units (+11.3%). In the USA, 69,187 vehicles were handed over to customers since January (+12.5%), which makes Mercedes-Benz into the most frequently registered premium manufacturer since the start of the year. The company also achieved a new sales record in Mexico with growth of one fifth (+20.7%) compared to the same period in the previous year.

In the Asia/Pacific region, first-quarter sales were particularly strong in Japan (+12.4%), South Korea (+15.5%), Taiwan (+16.0%) and Australia (+37.2%). In Japan, no other importer of premium vehicles delivered more vehicles to customers than Mercedes-Benz. In China (incl. Hong Kong) sales went up in March (+5.4%), however, the first quarter was strongly affected by the reorganization of the sales structures and the upcoming model change-overs and thus lagged behind (45,440 units, p.y. 51,328 units). The initiated measures combined with the introduction of the new models are designed to ensure sustained profitable sales growth in the medium-term. On the Russian market, the positive sales trend continued: Here, Mercedes-Benz achieved a new sales record with 8,595 vehicle deliveries since the beginning of the year (+20.7%). The brand also posted an excellent first quarter in Turkey (+78.1%) and in the Middle East region (+9.9%).

Defying the strongly declining market (-7.9%), Mercedes-Benz managed to grow sales and gain market shares in Western Europe (without Germany), and posted a plus of 3.9% compared to the same period in the previous year with 81,219 units sold from January to March. The good result was attributable mainly to the growth in Belgium (+25.1%) and Great Britain (+13.3%). In the strongly regressive German market (-12.9%) Mercedes-Benz posted first-quarter sales of 53,144 units (p.y. 56,552 units), expanded its market share and thus maintained its position as the most registered premium manufacturer.

Among the model series of the Mercedes-Benz brand, the new compacts performed particularly well in the first quarter, with deliveries of 77,044 units to A-Class and B-Class customers from January to March (+49.4%). A week ago, Mercedes-Benz presented the purely electric version of the B-Class at the International Auto Show in New York. Customers in the USA will be able to order the B-Class Electric Drive from the autumn of 2013 onwards.

The SUVs with the star continued their satisfactory development with worldwide sales of 77,227 units in the first quarter (+30.6%). New sales records were posted by the GLK (+40.2), the GL (+33.5%) and the G-Class (+70.3%). The same applies to the M-Class (+27.6%) which, moreover, was the market leader in its segment worldwide.

The smart fortwo sold 25,632 times from January to March (p.y. 26,975 units). The compact runabout managed to dodge its life cycle effect, especially on the domestic market Germany and in Great Britain, and remained here constant at the previous year’s level in the first quarter.

Overview of global sales in March 2013

Credits: Daimler AG

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Top March 2013 Sales of 24,646 Vehicles Take Mercedes-Benz to Highest First Quarter Ever at 69,187 Units

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Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported the highest first quarter sales volume in its history. March was another record month with sales of 24,646 for its Mercedes-Benz models, a 6.5% increase over March 2012, resulting in year-to-date sales of 69,187, up 12.5%. Combined sales of Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles, smart and Sprinter for the month totaled 27,104, up 6.3%, and year-to-date up 12.4 % at 75,214.

"We're coming out of our highest first quarter on record—and that's before launching a single new product," said Steve Cannon, president and CEO of MBUSA. "With completely redesigned E-Class models arriving at dealerships, a next generation S-Class and a new entry point for the brand—the CLA—in the wings, we're looking at our strongest year on record."

Mercedes-Benz March sales were driven by the C-, E-, and M-Class model lines. The sporty C-Class – the current gateway to the brand on the car side for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers – took the lead, posting sales of 8,396, up 32.4%. The 9th generation E-Class followed with sales of 4,009 and MBUSA's top-selling SUV, the M-Class, rounded out the top three with sales of 3,501. At the high-end, strong performers were the company's flagship S-Class, which saw 24.0% growth, and the SL-Class, which increased 790.5% over March 2012.

On a year-to-date basis, the top performers again were the C-Class with 22,912, the E-Class with 13,689 and the M-Class with 9,162.

The Sprinter model line also continued its record sales streak in March with 1,529 vans sold – up 11.2% over last year and up 22.5% on a year-to-date basis, while the company's smart brand recorded sales of 929 vehicles.

Sales of the high-performance AMG models were 631 for the month and sales of the company's BlueTEC diesel models finished the month at 1,640, up 2.4% over the same period last year.

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 8,670 vehicles in March; an increase of 24% when compared to March 2012 (sales of 6,994 vehicles). On a year-to-date basis, MBCPO sold 24,370 vehicles, an increase of 22% over the comparable period (with sales of 19,924 vehicles).

Mercedes-Benz USA March 2013 Sales Chart

Credits: Mercedes-Benz USA

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Mercedes-Benz is UK's top premium brand in February 2013

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- Mercedes-Benz is the leading premium brand in the UK in February
- Mercedes-Benz registrations up 13.5 per cent compared to the same month in 2012
- Mercedes-Benz cars lead a total of nine market segments
- C-Class, E-Class, S-Class and SLK-Class are among segment leaders
- AMG remains fastest growing performance brand in the UK - registrations up 167.8 per cent
- smart records 32.8 per cent rise in registrations for month of February

Mercedes-Benz finished February as the leading premium brand in the UK, according to registration figures released by the SMMT today. Not only this, but, in AMG, it remains the fastest growing performance brand in the UK.

A total of 3,329 cars were registered by Mercedes-Benz in February – a gain of 13.5 per cent.

According to the SMMT figures, nine market segments are led by Mercedes-Benz cars. The C-Class Saloon, C-Class Coupé, E-Class Saloon, E-Class Estate, E-Class Coupé, E-Class Cabriolet, SLK-Class, CLS-Class and S-Class each occupy the top spot in their respective, hard-fought segments.

Once again, the C-Class appeared in the top 10 registration figures in the UK – achieving ninth place.

Performance brand AMG recorded another very strong month – achieving a phenomenal 167.8 per cent gain in registrations compared to the same period last year. Leading the gain was the C 63 AMG Coupé, registrations finishing 188.9 per cent up in February.

Registrations of Mercedes-Benz Estate cars showed significant gains - the C-Class Estate finished February up by 71.1 per cent and the E-Class Estate by 29.8 per cent.

Likewise, the B-Class, introduced to the market in early 2012, is thriving – with registrations up by 277.1 per cent.

A successful month was also recorded by smart – the fortwo achieving a 32.8 per cent rise in registrations.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz UK commented: ‘To be the Number One premium brand in the UK in February is a great achievement and testament to the hard work and commitment of my colleagues throughout the Retailer network and at Mercedes-Benz UK. Now we’ll be devoting even more energy to achieving it again, as this is a result we’ll be aiming to repeat as the year goes on. With exciting new models, including the CLA and New E-Class on the verge of arriving in the UK, we are in a fantastic position for the future.’

Credits: Mercedes-Benz UK

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Mercedes-Benz sells 90,083 vehicles in February 2013

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Mercedes-Benz has delivered 90,083 units (p.y. 95,647 units) to customers in February and thus sold as many cars as never before since the beginning of the year (184,978 units, +1.3%). Sales in the last month were particularly high in the USA, Russia and in Japan. In Germany and Western Europe, Mercedes-Benz developed better than the overall market. In China (incl. Hong Kong), sales were considerably weaker compared to the same month in the previous year due to basic effects. Among the model series, the brand's SUVs met with great customer interest. In addition, customers are enjoying the new Mercedes-Benz compacts in growing numbers.

“Our new models, and especially the SUVs and the compacts, met with an excellent response among our customers also in February. This year, we are continuing our model offensive with the CLA and the new E- and S-Class – three vehicles our customers are looking forward to with great anticipation and with what we aim for yet another record year in 2013“, said Dr Joachim Schmidt, Vice President Sales and Marketing. “We have significantly increased our sales in North and South America, as well as in other growth markets like Japan or Russia. In February, we were also above the market in Germany and Western Europe. Globally, we were not able to reach the high level of the previous year due to basic effects in China, however.“

In the NAFTA region (+18.0%), Mercedes-Benz again posted a record month. In the USA, the brand with the star grew by 21.9% in February with a record of 22,040 vehicles, thus being the premium manufacturer with the highest registrations since the beginning of the year. The company also achieved a new sales record in Mexico (+13.3%).

In the Asia/Pacific region, the markets of Japan (+13.2%), South Korea (+6.8%) and Australia (+30.8%) provided a strong impetus for sales. In China (incl. Hong Kong), where the one-week Chinese New Year was celebrated in February instead of January as it was last year, sales totalled 10,134 vehicles after a very strong performance in the same month of the previous year (p.y. 19,205 units). With the new integrated sales company Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co., Ltd., which officially became operational at the beginning of March, Mercedes-Benz set the course for sustainable growth in this key market. Sales continued to develop positively on the Russian market: Here, a new sales record of 3,055 vehicles was achieved (+17.3%). Turkey even saw nearly twice as many vehicles sold than in the same month of the previous year (+95.0%). In the Middle East region Mercedes-Benz once again delivered more vehicles than in February 2012 (+8.9%).

In the strongly declining German market (-10.3%), the brand in February developed better than the overall market and grew its market share to nearly 10% since the beginning of the year. Thus, Mercedes-Benz was the premium manufacturer with the highest vehicle registrations in Germany also in February. Last month, the company there sold 15,321 vehicles (p.y. 17,993 units). In Western Europe (without Germany), Mercedes-Benz continued to drive forward against the negative market trend, gaining market shares. At 19.773 units, February sales were over the previous year's level (+0.4%). In Great Britain, the second largest market for Mercedes-Benz in Western Europe, the brand increased the February sales by 10.6% and thus secured the market leadership.

Among the Mercedes-Benz model series, the new compacts did also very well with customers in February: The sales of 22,143 A- and B-Class vehicles were 41.4% over the sales in the same month of the previous year. To enable meeting the high customer demand for the A-Class and B-Class on a continuous basis, 21 special shifts have already been planned for the Rastatt plant for this year. In the Kecskemét plant (Hungary), where the B-Class and the CLA are being produced, there will be additional shifts for all Saturdays starting in April. The CLA, which was just presented at the Geneva Motor Show, will appeal to a very new, young class of buyers. The compact four-door coupe will be launched in April.

The SUVs of Mercedes-Benz are also enjoying unbroken popularity. Sales of SUVs with the star totalled 22,264 vehicles (+33.5%), with new sales records posted, among others, by the GLK (+46.9%), the G-Class (+110.3%) and the M-Class (+26.3%). The Tuscaloosa plant (USA) will put in 14 additional shifts for M- and GL-Class production on Saturdays this year to enable meeting the demand for these vehicles.

The smart fortwo sold 7,837 times in February (p.y. 8,426 units) also under the sign of the effects from its third-largest market China. On the other hand, the urban run-about enjoyed great popularity, particularly in Great Britain (+29.1%) and Germany (+14.6%). With the smart fortwo electric drive smart remains market leader among electric vehicles on its home market.

Credits: Daimler AG

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Mercedes-Benz USA February 2013 Sales Hit Record High at 24,051 Units

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Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) reported today sales of 24,051, a 22.2% increase over the 19,679 vehicles sold in February 2012 making it the highest volume on record for the month. The Mercedes-Benz model line alone achieved its highest February numbers with sales of 22,040, up 21.9%. On a year-to-date basis, the 48,110 vehicles sold represent a 16.2% increase.

"We're building on January's momentum to bring us to a record first quarter," said Steve Cannon, president and CEO of MBUSA. "The auto industry's on the up and we're ideally positioned to take advantage of the strengthening market. With the strong product cadence we have mapped out for the year, we'll continue bringing new buyers to Mercedes-Benz while offering an expanded palette for our existing owners."

Mercedes-Benz February sales were fueled by the C-, E-, and GL-Class model lines. The sporty C-Class – the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers –was the volume leader posting sales of 7,302, up 39.4%. The 9th generation E-Class followed with sales of 4,211 and the much acclaimed GL-Class rounded out the top three with sales of 2,800, up 77.8% compared to February 2012.

At the high-end, February sales increased as well with the S-Class up 16.4% and the SL-Class up 353.1% when compared to the same period last year.

The Sprinter model line also continued its momentum marking a record month with 1,228 vans sold, a 48.0% increase from February 2012, while smart recorded sales of 783 vehicles, up 1.8% for the month.

Sales of the high-performance AMG models were 497 for the month and sales of the company's BlueTEC diesel models finished the month at 1,251.

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 7,541 vehicles in February; an increase of 26.0% when compared to February 2012 (sales of 5,985 vehicles). On a year-to-date basis, MBCPO sold 15,700 vehicles, an increase of 21.4% over the comparable period (with sales of 12,930 vehicles).

Mercedes-Benz USA February 2013 Sales Chart

Credits: Mercedes-Benz USA

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Fast-paced start to 2013 for Mercedes-Benz UK

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- Mercedes-Benz sustains momentum built up in 2012: 7.4 per cent rise in registrations recorded for the first month of 2013
- A-Class registrations get off to a strong start in its first month on-sale – achieving 6.2 per cent segment share
- C-Class and E-Class Saloon variants each hold Number One spot in their highly-competitive market segments
- C-Class ranked 10th in the overall UK vehicle registration figures for January
- AMG records another strong month – registrations are up by 75 per cent when compared to the same period in 2012
- C 63 AMG Estate leads increases with 125 per cent gain
- New Citan van is introduced to the market for the first time as dealer vehicles are registered ahead of its UK launch

As the exciting new A-Class was introduced to the market for the first time, Mercedes-Benz recorded a 7.4 per cent rise in registrations for the month of January, according to figures released by the SMMT.

Among the strongest performers in January was the C-Class Saloon, placed first in its highly-competitive market segment with a 12.8 per cent increase compared with the same period last year. Likewise, the E-Class Saloon recorded an even stronger start to the year, claiming the Number One spot in its segment with a 30.9 per cent gain in registrations.

Retaining its position as the fastest-growing performance brand in the UK, AMG reported a 75 per cent rise in registrations for January. Contributing to this high-performance result was the C 63 AMG Estate, the registrations for which rose by 125 per cent.

As the weather conditions deteriorated, registrations of the M-Class rose by 386.3 per cent compared to January 2012 – securing a substantial 14.4 per cent share of the market segment.

The new A-Class captured a 6.2 per cent share of its segment in the month that sales commenced in the UK – a strong start for an exciting new model that will be joined by the CLA four-door coupé in June.

Likewise, Mercedes-Benz made its debut in the small van market as the first examples of the new Citan were registered ahead of its market introduction in the coming months.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz UK commented: "We begin 2013 re-energised, with great momentum and as the fastest growing performance brand – a great start and one everyone in my team at Mercedes-Benz UK will be working hard to sustain.

"This promises to be an exciting year for us - our customer service teams at our passenger car retailers and CV dealers across the country share this excitement and are thriving on the challenge of exceeding the expectations of our customers. We have advanced and desirable new models being added to our range – the new A-Class made its market debut this year – and we’re looking forward to the arrival of the new CLA and the new E-Class. This is bolstered by great new products from our Commercial Vehicles operation – including the new Citan – adding to the surprises in store for 2013."

Credits: Mercedes-Benz UK

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Mercedes-Benz starts the year with a 9.2% rise in sales

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Mercedes-Benz has started the new year with record sales. The brand with the star sold a total of 94,895 units worldwide in January, a gain of 9.2%. This growth in sales was driven by strong sales in the United States as well as in China and Russia. Despite challenging market conditions, Mercedes-Benz also saw further growth in Western Europe, where the new A-Class and B-Class in particular continued to generate substantial customer interest. Moreover, Mercedes-Benz SUVs were again a significant source of growth worldwide.

“Following the record figures achieved in 2012, our sales for January represent a strong start to the new year,” said Dr Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars. “We are optimistic about 2013, although we need to be prepared for market volatility particularly in Western Europe over the months to come. We see growth potential especially in North America as well as in Japan, China and Russia.”

The company expects various new products to provide further momentum especially from mid-2013. Dr Schmidt: “With the new E-Class family and the new S-Class we are launching our model initiative for the high-end and luxury segment in 2013. Our compact four-door coupe, the CLA, was met with an enthusiastic response when we presented it in Detroit a few weeks ago.”

In the NAFTA region last year's extremely positive sales trend has continued. In its currently largest market, the US, Mercedes-Benz delivered 22,501 vehicles (+10.8%) to customers in January, thus reaching record levels and clearly outperforming the market for premium vehicles. It also achieved record sales in Mexico, up by 32.6%.

China (incl. Hong Kong) achieved a new sales record in January, with 16,695 units delivered (+15.4%). Mercedes-Benz also had a highly positive start to the year in the Asia/Pacific region (+15.9%), Japan (+9.8%) and Russia (+26.6%).

Contrary to the strongly declining total market in Germany (-8.6%), sales of Mercedes-Benz last month was on the previous year’s level (12,541 u., -0.7%). With this Mercedes-Benz secured once again the market leadership in Germany and gained significant market share. Also in Western Europe (excluding Germany), the brand asserted its position against the market trend by selling 22,331 vehicles, a gain of 3.5%. The increase in sales was particularly strong in the United Kingdom (+8.9%) and France (+17.5%).

The new compact cars from Mercedes-Benz continue to perform well. Last year, the A-Class celebrated the most successful market introduction in the company’s history and more B-Class vehicles have been sold than ever before with a gain of 51.2% (145.649 u.). The previous record set in 2006 was thus outdone by 11.4%. This trend continues in 2013. In January a total of 20,587 new A-Class and B-Class cars have been handed over to customers. Sales therefore rose by more than a half to reach a record high level (+58.5%). The popularity of these cars was confirmed by the award of the A-Class “Gelber Engel” (Yellow Angel): Just recently the members of the General German Automobile Association (ADAC) voted it the most popular car of the Germans. Only a few months before the launch of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class family, the current models remain popular: Of the sedan alone, 13,448 units have been delivered to customers in January (+4.8%). In the S-Class segment Mercedes-Benz sold 5,310 cars last month (January 2012: 5,826 u.) despite the fact that the luxury sedan is also about to undergo a model change-over this year. The Mercedes-Benz SUVs put in another excellent performance, achieving record sales of 24,228 units in January (+33.3%). The main drivers of growth were the GLK (+41.5%), the GL (+24.7%) and the G-Class (+78.7%).

Now in its seventh year, the smart fortwo remains a highly popular car, with sales of the two-seater in January amounting to 7,285 cars (January 2012: 7,605 u.). This compact urban runabout generated particularly encouraging growth in the domestic market and in China (incl. Hong Kong). Also the smart electric drive saw strong demand. In 2012, more than 1,000 electric smart have been produced and delivered to customers. Thus smart was market leader in 2012 among the all battery-electric passenger cars in Germany.

Overview of sales by Mercedes-Benz Cars

Credits: Daimler AG

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Mercedes-Benz USA January 2013 Sales Soar to Highest on Record at 24,059 Units (plus 2013 Super Bowl TV advertisement)

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Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) reported today sales of 24,059, a 10.7% increase over the 21,726 vehicles sold in January 2012 making it the greatest year start in the company's history. The Mercedes-Benz model line alone marked its highest January numbers with sales of 22,501, up 10.8%.

"We've set another record this January and are breaking into 2013 at a strong sales pace," said Steve Cannon, president & CEO of MBUSA. "It's a historic time for the brand with product milestones that will drive our momentum. Our new CLA, the star of our Super Bowl ad (see below) this weekend, will reset the entry point. Stay tuned as product innovations continue throughout the year with the introductions of our completely redesigned E-Class and new generation of our flagship S-Class."
Strong demand for both the Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles and SUVs fueled sales for the month with the sporty C-Class – the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers – as the volume leader posting sales of 7,214, up 10.6%. The 9th generation E-Class followed with sales of 5,469 and the versatile M-Class rounded out the top three with sales of 2,928.

For January, sales at the high-end increased as well with the S-Class up 19.5% and the SL-Class up 290% when compared to the same period last year.

The Sprinter model line started the year strong with sales of 1,077 for the month, a 16.6% increase from January 2012, and smart recorded sales of 481 vehicles.

Sales of the high-performance AMG models were 495 for the month and sales of the company's BlueTEC diesel models finished the month at 1,054.

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 8,159 vehicles in January; an increase of 17.5% when compared to January 2012 (sales of 6,945 vehicles).

Credits: Mercedes-Benz USA

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The S-Class remains customer favourite: more than 500,000 units of the current generation delivered

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Since the launch of the S-Class in September 2005, more than 500,000 units of the current generation have been delivered to customers around the world. Thus, the present S-Class sold even better than the previous generation. Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Mercedes-Benz Cars, Sales & Marketing: "The S-Class is in many ways the trendsetter in its segment. It is world's best-selling and most secure vehicle in its class. We are very proud of our heritage as a pioneer in automobile development with the new S-Class continuing the tradition."

Still the leader in the luxury segment

In the year before the generation shift, the S-Class enjoyed great popularity among clients. A total of 65,128 sedans were delivered in 2012 to their new owners around the world. Despite the upcoming model changeover, it nearly reached the level of 2011 (68,969 units). Thus, the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz brand is the world leader in the luxury segment.

Pioneer in automobile development

The S-Class has been, for many years, the standard for automotive progress, representing the result of innovative technologies, pioneering safety systems and exceptional comfort from generation to generation. With the world premiere of the new S-Class this year, Mercedes-Benz is once again presenting a luxury limousine that is unparalleled in terms of innovation, safety, comfort and design. The new S-Class willpremiere the Brake Assist BAS PLUS with junction assistant that not only assists the driver in avoiding collisions in longitudinal traffic, but also at a crossroads. Besides the detection of other vehicles, the new S-Class can detect pedestrians who are in front of the vehicle by combining a stereo camera with radar sensors. Should a collision happen, the driver is alerted through audible and visual signals. If necessary, the Brake Assist PLUS gets amplified by the driver-induced braking action. If the driver fails to respond to the warnings, the vehicle brakes autonomously with help from the PRE-SAFE® Brake.

The protection of passengers from the back seats has been further improved through the implementation of Beltbags. The Beltbag is a seat belt, which inflates in the event of a frontal impact, with the risk of injury being significantly reduced, since it decreases the load on the chest. The new S-Class will be the first car in the industry that comes complete without bulbs. Depending on the equipment line, up to approximately 500 LEDs are installed in the vehicle. Even the basic version of the new luxury sedan is equipped with standard full-LED lights.

About 3.5 million customers and numerous awards

The flagship of the Mercedes-Benz portfolio, which has carried the name S-Class for more than 40 years, celebrated the name anniversary during the fall of 2012. Throughout history, the model has enjoyed great popularity among clients all over the world and won numerous prestigious awards. In 2011, the S-Class received the award for the best car in the luxury segment from the automotive magazine "auto motor und sport" and the award "Prestige Car of the Year" from the North American TV show "Motoring Television". In addition, in 2010, for the fourth consecutive year, the S-Class was the best car in its segment in terms of efficiency, technology and design according to the JD Power APEAL. The award for "World Green Car of the Year 2012" further underlined the S-Class's leading role in green technologies over the premium segment.

Overall, Mercedes-Benz delivered over 3.5 million S-Class vehicles to date to customers around the world, including the previous W 220 model series and the preceding generations. The S-Class is produced at Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2013, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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Record-breaking, high performance year for Mercedes-Benz UK

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• Mercedes-Benz is the fastest growing premium brand in the UK
• Record market share achieved by Mercedes-Benz passenger cars in 2012
• 4.5 per cent market share by the end of the year – strongest result ever
• Mercedes-Benz UK has seen 10 per cent year-on-year growth
• AMG the fastest growing performance brand in the UK
• AMG records its best-ever year in the UK with 2,236 cars registered - a rise of 119.6 per cent
• Total registrations of 91,006 cars in 2012 – C-Class ninth best-selling car in overall UK market with 37,261 examples registered
• December registrations of 5,187 cars
• B-Class, C-Class range, SLK-Class, SL-Class, M-Class and S-Class all recorded significant rises in registrations
• smart fortwo posts 11.3 per cent rise in registrations in 2012
• Commercial Vehicles finishes year in strong position with Actros achieving 2,201 registrations
• Sprinter and Vito each continue to outperform market with 7.8 per cent and 15.1 per cent rises in registrations in 2012 – ahead of introduction of new Citan small van

Mercedes-Benz has recorded its best-ever new car registrations market share in the UK, according to year-end figures released today by the SMMT.

The company’s record-breaking 4.5 per cent market share was posted in 2012 with the C-Class Coupé, the SLK-Class, E-Class Cabriolet, CLS-Class Coupé and the S-Class each leading their respective market segments.

For the second year in a row Mercedes-Benz has seen double-digit growth.

While the record year was led by spectacular performances from core models within the Mercedes-Benz range – including the C-Class, which finished the year as the ninth overall best-selling car in 2012 - the AMG performance division of Mercedes-Benz also set new records. AMG posted its best ever year in the UK with registrations rising by 119.6 per cent, making it the fastest growing performance brand in the UK.

The S-Class finished 2012 as the Number One luxury car in the UK – capturing a substantial 30.5 per cent share of its segment.

Strong sales of the smart fortwo led to a rise of 11.3 per cent for the year with a total of 5,616 cars registered in 2012.

In total, Mercedes-Benz UK registered 91,006 cars in 2012, a rise of 12.1 per cent – making it one of the most successful years ever recorded outperforming the overall new car market, which increased by 5.3 per cent.

The positive news continues for Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles. The new Actros truck achieved 2,201 registrations in its first year on sale. Likewise, van registrations saw a significant rise – Sprinter and Vito each continue to outperform market with 7.8 per cent and 15.1 per cent gains in registrations in 2012.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz UK commented: “This is an excellent result – 2012 saw us post record market share results. I would like to express my appreciation to the sales and customer service teams at our passenger car retailers and CV dealers across the country whose tireless efforts serving and supporting our customers have made this possible.

“In a sophisticated and demanding market we’ve done a great job in not only defending our market position but also increasing it. Everyone within my team at Mercedes-Benz in the UK will be working hard to make sure this is sustained – that in 2013 we meet and exceed the expectations of our car, van and truck customers and build on the momentum achieved in 2012.”

RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES

Positive momentum – and new records - were reported in other parts of the Mercedes-Benz UK business as 2012 drew to a close with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services leading the way.

New customer loans to both private and business for Passenger Car and Commercial Vehicle Dealer partners continued to break records in 2012 ending with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services achieving a portfolio growth of 24 per cent.

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services continued to be ranked joint Number One in the Sewells 2012 Dealer Satisfaction Survey. The is reflected by six out of 10 Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars and four out of 10 Mercedes-Benz Vans, Trucks and Canter in the UK being financed by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Year-on-year lending for Commercial Vehicles grew by 37 per cent in 2012.

Mercedes-Benz Insurance continues to outperform the industry average with eight out of 10 Mercedes-Benz Motor Insurance customers renewing their annual policies with Mercedes-Benz. In addition, 21 per cent more new motor insurance policies were taken up in 2012 than 2011.

2012 AND BEYOND: MERCEDES-BENZ APPRENTICE ACADEMY

In 2012, 159 apprentices joined the Mercedes-Benz Apprentice Programme – selected from a total of 11,500 applications. The Programme, now in its 18th year, provides investment and is dedicated to inspire and equip the next generation of young engineering technicians and advisors with the skills required to work with and on modern vehicles.

Those joining in 2012 started on a three-year programme – at the end of which they will aim to achieve Level Three nationally-recognised VCQ and VRQ qualifications.

Since the course began, 1,164 apprentices have graduated from The Apprentice Academy with 60 per cent remaining at Mercedes-Benz 10 years on.

The Programme is supported by a £2.1 million investment in a new facility in which to house The Apprentice Academy.

A recent Ofsted inspection awarded the Programme a Grade One Outstanding for the ‘Outcomes for Learners’.

MERCEDES-BENZ CUSTOMER SERVICE GROUP: EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

Customer Satisfaction scores for commercial vehicles – rated by customers - improved by 10 per cent in 2012 – part of the commitment by Mercedes-Benz to deliver the best possible levels of care for its customers.

Service 24 hour programme for commercial vehicles continues to set benchmarks with attendance times below 60-minutes and over 80 per cent of call-outs being fixed at the roadside.

Parts Sales for commercial vehicles exceeded 2011 levels with Canter parts growing by almost 17 per cent.

Parts sales for passenger cars grew by 2.6 per cent while Mercedes-Benz Accessories sales grew by 19 per cent – making the UK the second highest performing market outside of Germany.

Likewise, it’s been a busy and successful year for Mercedes-Benz Service Contracts. In May the milestone of 100,000 live contracts across car, van and truck was passed, and the year has seen a further 10 per cent rise in new additions.

A total of 11 per cent of all new cars, a quarter of all new vans and more than 41 per cent of all new trucks are sold with a Service Care plan or Service Contract.

Overall across new, used and in-service vehicles, Mercedes-Benz sold over 40,000 Car Service Care plans, almost 9,000 Van Contracts and more than 4,250 Truck Contracts.

GAINS IN NEW AND USED CAR SALES: MERCEDES-BENZ RETAIL GROUP

Along with a record market share for 2012 and strong registrations, the Mercedes-Benz Retail Group enjoyed an encouraging year.

More new Mercedes-Benz cars were sold to retail customers through the 18 franchise sales sites than in 2011 - up by 18 per cent.

A total of 10,770 sales of new Mercedes-Benz passenger cars were achieved by the MBRG Fleet Sales Division – an incredible gain of 38 per cent over 2011.

MERCEDES-BENZ WORLD: SIX YEARS YOUNG AND GROWING FAST

In its sixth year, Mercedes-Benz World continued to thrive.

New driving experiences were added – including the C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series. The Under 16s Programme also continued to be popular with over 108,000 children having taken part – covering over a million miles in the process – since 2007.

Mercedes-Benz World hosted the international launch of the CLS Shooting Brake in 2012 as well as becoming the permanent home to two new interactive exhibitions – Driven and smart World.

The new Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience Centre, aimed at young drivers, also opened at Silverstone - housed in state-of-the-art facilities and expanding the driving experiences on offer under 16s.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz UK commented: “I’m looking forward to 2013 a great deal – we have the exciting new A-Class arriving now, as well as exciting new cars in the new CLA, the new-generation E-Class and, of course, a new S-Class. We’re entering new segments – a new small van, the Citan, is now in showrooms – all appealing to new customers who we look forward to welcoming. On the larger side, Antos heralds the next step in the story of our new truck range. With the strongest family of vehicles we’ve ever had and competitive new finance and service contract offers to make a Mercedes-Benz ownership more enjoyable, more convenient and more affordable to run than ever before, we enter the New Year with optimism – and more, importantly, the right tools for the job!”

Credits: Mercedes-Benz UK

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Mercedes-Benz posts new sales record in 2012

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Following record sales in the previous year, Mercedes-Benz Cars has once again posted an annual record in 2012 as well as the highest December sales to date. Over the past twelve months, 1,423,835 customers chose a vehicle of the brands Mercedes-Benz, smart and Maybach. The previous year's sales volumes were thus exceeded by 4.5% or 60,901 units. Also Mercedes-Benz achieved a new sales record in 2012. From January through December, a total of 1,320,097 vehicles of the core brand were sold.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: “We are very pleased with our sales for the full year 2012. Despite the difficult market environment in the southern European countries and numerous model change-overs, we managed to exceed the previous year's sales record. Our new models in particular were received extremely well by our customers. From the B-Class, more vehicles were sold in 2012 than ever before in a single year, the A-Class got off to a sensational start and our new SUVs are also enjoying lasting popularity.”

Product initiative will be continued

The company expects the positive trend to continue in the next year. Dr. Zetsche adds: “With our product initiative in the premium segment, we will consistently pursue our Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy in 2013. With the new S-Class, the new E-Class but also the new CLA, we will present our customers a complete series of fascinating product highlights. In addition, our new A-Class will also be available in many additional markets. All of this will continue to provide us with momentum in the upcoming months.”

Record sales in all NAFTA countries

As in the past two years, Mercedes-Benz in the U.S. once again posted double-digit growth in sales in 2012 (+11.8%). With 274,134 vehicles sold, the company secured a new sales record. In addition, the U.S. replaced Germany as the brand's biggest market. Mercedes-Benz also posted new sales records for the full year 2012 in Mexico and Canada, the other countries of the NAFTA region. At 30,106 units, sales in Canada were 5.3% higher than the previous year's record. In Mexico, the 2011 sales high was even topped by 21.5%.

China, Russia and Middle East region with new sales records; Japan with high growth rates
Despite limited availability of the GLK due to the production break at BBAC lasting several weeks during the first half of the year and the successive introduction of the new B-Class beginning only in August, Mercedes-Benz posted a new sales record in China (incl. Hong Kong) (196,211 u., +1.5%) also in 2012. The company also posted a sales record in South Korea and Australia, where sales increased by 6.5% respectively 5.4% for the full year. In Russia, Mercedes-Benz achieved the best year of sales since market entrance with a double-digit growth in 2012.

In the Middle East region, customer response was also excellent in the full year 2012. Sales here grew by 16.8%, posting a new sales record.

Sales in Japan have demonstrated very dynamic growth in the past twelve months. No other importer of premium vehicles delivered more vehicles to customers than Mercedes-Benz. With 40,488 units sold, the previous year's level was exceeded by 24.9%.

Mercedes-Benz with highest number of new vehicle registrations in Germany for the past 20 years; sales up in Western Europe

Mercedes-Benz has now been the premium brand with the highest number of new vehicle registrations in Germany for the past 20 years. At 261,084 units, sales in the domestic market last year were on the high level of the previous year (-0.4%) despite the model change of the high volume A-Class model. In Western Europe (without Germany), 2012 was characterized by the difficult market environment in Southern Europe. Still Mercedes-Benz was able to top the sales volumes of the previous year (293,713 u.; +1.5%) due to the favourable customer response to the new models and CO2 optimized engines. Customer demand in the UK (+10.5%), Switzerland (+21.1%) and France (+5.8%) showed a particularly positive trend. In the southern European markets of Italy, Spain and Portugal, the brand with the star performed significantly better than the respective total markets, thus gaining additional market shares.

New compacts received extremely well by customers – record sales for the new B-Class

The new B-Class celebrated a resounding success in its first full year of availability. Never before more vehicles have been sold than in 2012 (145,649 u.). The previous record set in 2006 was thus outdone by 11.4%. Compared to the previous year, growth was actually 51.2%. With the increased availability of the new A-Class, sales of the young compacts continue to gain momentum. Since its sales release, over 90,000 orders have already been recorded for the vehicle.

C-Class segment continues to grow

After posting double-digit growth in the previous year, Mercedes-Benz again posted a significant increase in sales in the C-Class segment (413,193 u.) with 3.0% in the 2012 reporting year. The C-Class coupe performed particularly well over the past twelve months. With 48,145 buyers in 2012, plus 77.3% chose the sporty two-door model compared to the previous year. The SLK was once again popular from January through December. With 31,809 new cars delivered, the roadster's sales volume increased by 18.9%. Both the C-Class coupe and the SLK were also the highest selling vehicles in their respective segments in 2012.

CLS with strong sales performance in the E-Class segment

In the year before the market launch of the new E-Class, 225,521 vehicles of the sedan and the estate were sold (previous year: 244,341 u.). In total, 310,408 new vehicles of the E-Class segment were sold (previous year: 338,386 u.). The CLS was the top performing model in the E-Class segment in 2012 and was also the front runner in its competitive segment. In October, an entirely new vehicle concept celebrated its premiere with the CLS Shooting Brake, once again highlighting the leading role of Mercedes-Benz in the field of design. Overall, 36,825 units (+13.2%) of the four-door coupe were sold.

S-Class again best-selling luxury sedan in the world

Even in the year before its model change-over, the S-Class sedan was once again the most sought-after vehicle in its segment with 65,128 units sold (previous year: 68,969 u.). In the S-Class segment, the new SL was also particularly popular with customers over the past twelve months. In total, sales of the sporty roadster more than tripled.

In the last year of its availability, the Maybach was very popular with the customers. Overall, 234 luxury models were delivered to new owners, 12.0% more than in the previous year.

A success story continues – Mercedes-Benz SUVs post another record year

After the SUVs from Mercedes-Benz had already stormed from one sales record to the next in 2011, the previous year's record sales volume was topped again by 16.6% (289,960 u.) in 2012. Thus, one in five Mercedes-Benz cars sold last year was an SUV. Mainly responsible for this trend was the new M-Class, which increased its sales by almost one third (115,608 u.; +29.8%) and the facelifted GLK (109,813 u.; +17.0%). From January to December, the M-Class was even the highest selling vehicle in its competitive class. In 2012, the facelifted G-Class was also popular. With a 35.8% increase in sales, more G-Class vehicles were sold than ever before in a single calendar year.

Mercedes-Benz AMG posts new sales record

As in the past years, the sales volume of Mercedes-Benz AMG also developed favourably in 2012. With over 24,500 units sold, over 30% more customers opted for a performance vehicle than in the previous year. In the scope of the AMG Performance 50 growth strategy, AMG plans to increase sales to approximately 30,000 vehicles by 2017, thus continuing to hold the top position in this refined and exclusive segment.

smart fortwo again surpasses 100,000 milestone

Last year, 103,738 customers chose a new smart fortwo. With this, the previous year's outstanding sales volumes were not only met but exceeded by 1.7%. Dr. Zetsche: “The smart fortwo has once again managed to exceed our expectations, surpassing the milestone of 100,000 vehicles sold despite the difficult market environment in Southern Europe.” Over the last twelve months, the micro compact car performed particularly well primarily in the U.S. (+92.2%), China (incl. Hong Kong) (+43.8%) and Canada (+29.0%).

Overview of sales by Mercedes-Benz Cars

Credits: Daimler AG

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Mercedes-Benz USA Hits Its Highest-ever U.S. Volume with Sales of 305,072 Vehicles

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Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported its highest year on record with 305,072 vehicles sold in 2012, representing a 15.4% increase over the 264,460 vehicles sold during the same period in 2011. The Mercedes-Benz model line alone also recorded a record year with sales of 274,134 for the year, up 11.8%. Smart and Sprinter model lines both achieved their highest volumes under the MBUSA umbrella with smart sales increasing 92.2% to 10,009 while a record month for Sprinter took the brand to 20,929 for 2012, an increase of 26.3%.

"A strong product offensive backed our retail network's commitment to providing a world-class ownership experience put the wind at our back and enabled us to outperform the market and take the brand to new heights in the U.S.," said Steve Cannon, president & CEO of MBUSA. "We're going to ride that momentum into 2013 with new products across the entire model line from entry point to flagship."

For December, the Mercedes-Benz product line alone posted sales of 28,145 vehicles (up 9.5% from 25,701 in December 2011) bringing MBUSA sales to a best-ever 31,372, up 12.0% from the 28,006 vehicles sold in December 2011.

Strong sales were recorded across the model line. The sporty C-Class – the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers – recorded its highest year on record with sales of 81,697, up 17.9% over its year-to-date volume in 2011. The 9th generation E-Class followed with sales of 65,171, and the M-Class, MBUSA's top-selling SUV, rounded out the top three with sales of 38,101.

For December, sales at the high-end increased as well, with combined sales of S-, CL- and SL-Class vehicles increasing 18.9% percent to 17,416 (when compared to the 14,650 vehicles sold in 2011).

Separately, sales of Sprinter Vans increased by 39.9% for the month with sales of 2,231 compared to the 1,595 vehicles sold in December 2011.

Sales of the smart fortwo totaled 996 vehicles in December, up 40.3% for the month (compared to the 710 vehicles sold in December 2011).

Sales of the high-performance AMG models were 6,658 for the year a 27.5% increase of the 5,220 vehicles sold over the same period last year.

Sales of the company's BlueTEC diesel models were up 7.4% for the year at 15,416 compared to the 14,358 diesels sold in 2011.

Additionally, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 6,949 vehicles in December; an increase of 13.7% when compared to December 2011 (sales of 6,112 vehicles). On a year-to-date basis, MBCPO sold 80,380 vehicles, an increase of 7.8% over the comparable period (with sales of 74,571 vehicles).

Mercedes-Benz December 2012 Sales Chart

Credits: Mercedes-Benz USA

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Milestone for Daimler in China: Integrated sales company for cars

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Daimler has reached a crucial milestone in growth market China: The establishment of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co., Ltd. means that all sales activities for imported and locally produced Mercedes-Benz cars will now be combined under one roof. The new company is a 50:50 joint venture with Daimler’s strategic partner, Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC).

“China is a key element of our Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy,” stated Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “In order to consistently implement our growth strategy in this important market, we have also added a Board of Management position for China under the leadership of Hubertus Troska. With the establishment of the new sales company, we are now increasing the effectiveness of our sales organization and setting a course for long-term and sustainable growth.”

The new sales company, Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co., Ltd., combines the functions of sales & marketing, aftersales, expansion of dealer network, used-car and fleet-car sales, as well as dealer and workshop training for Mercedes-Benz cars in China, in a single integrated organization. Previously, there were two sales channels – one for imported and one for locally-produced cars. As an important step towards the integrated organization, Daimler had in the middle of this year already increased its share of the import company Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd from 51 to 75 percent.

Nicholas Speeks, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd, will become the CEO of the new sales company.

“China Sales Initiative 2015” – continuous expansion of product portfolio and sales centers
Daimler plans to sell 300,000 cars in China in 2015, about two thirds of which will be from local production. Daimler has already initiated key activities this year for long-term and sustainable growth in China within the framework of the “China Sales Initiative 2015” program:

- Equity interest in Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd. increased from 51 to 75 percent.

- Market launch of new models, including the B-Class and M-Class, which are popular in China, as well as full availability of the locally produced GLK

- Expansion of dealer network to more than 220 dealerships in approximately 100 cities

- Development of “Sales Region West” with its headquarters in Chengdu, Sichuan, in order to better serve the complex Chinese market. Regional development is now complete along with the existing offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou

- Addition of leasing to existing financial services in August 2012

In the medium term, the product portfolio of Mercedes-Benz will be continuously expanded: Approximately 20 new and refreshed models will be launched in China alone by 2015.

The dealer network is to grow by about 50 new dealerships each year – in particular outside the major megacities.

In addition, progress is being made with the expansion of local production: In a new engine plant, 4-cylinder gasoline engines will be produced as of 2013 for use in locally-produced Mercedes-Benz cars and vans. Existing capacities for the C-Class, the GLK, and the long-wheelbase E-Class will be increased in line with market demand from currently just over 100,000 vehicles, with 2014 seeing the addition of the new-generation Mercedes-Benz compact cars. In this context, the steady expansion of the Chinese supplier base will leverage cost-cutting potential.

Chinese customers are also playing an increasingly important role for Daimler and Mercedes-Benz with regard to research and development: Chinese groups are already participating in car clinics which allow customer feedback to flow into the product-creation process. In 2011, Mercedes-Benz was the first western premium manufacturer to set up its own design studio in Beijing in order to be even closer to the mobility trends of the future. Furthermore, Daimler’s local R&D activities and joint ventures will help China-specific product and market requirements to receive even more consideration in the product-development process.

Daimler’s new Board of Management position for China

China is highly important to Daimler not only for car sales, but also at the corporate level: China is now the world’s biggest market for motor vehicles. No other western automotive manufacturer is as well established in China as Daimler. On December 12, the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG appointed Hubertus Troska as a member of the Board of Management for the newly created “China” position. Troska is responsible for all of Daimler’s strategic and operating activities in China. With the new “China” Board of Management position, the company will ensure that all aspects of the dynamic market will be dealt with directly in the Board of Management in the future.

Overview: Daimler in China

Daimler Northeast Asia is based in Beijing and includes Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd, Mercedes-Benz Auto Finance Ltd, Daimler Northeast Asia Parts Trading & Services Co., Ltd., the joint ventures Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd. (BBAC), Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd. (BFDA), Fujian Benz Automotive Corporation (FBAC) and Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co. Ltd., as well as sales companies in Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan.

Local production of Mercedes-Benz cars began with the predecessor series of the E-Class in the BBAC 50/50 joint venture in 2006; the second C-Class series followed in 2008. BBAC has been producing the current E-Class in a long-wheelbase version tailored specifically for the demands of the Chinese market since May 2010; the first locally produced GLK rolled off the production line in Beijing in December 2011.

On the sales side, Mercedes-Benz Cars is represented in China with its complete product portfolio; almost 200,000 vehicles were sold in the year 2011. Approximately 50 new dealers will be added to the sales network this year, making the brand increasingly present outside the Tier 1 cities.

China is already the fifth-largest sales market for Mercedes-Benz trucks. With a market share of more than 50% in the premium segment, Mercedes-Benz Trucks lead the market above all in the heavy-duty segment. In addition, Daimler is developing the volume segment of the world’s biggest market for commercial vehicles in a joint venture with Foton Motor, a Chinese truck manufacturer. Since mid-2012, the jointly produced medium and heavy trucks of the Auman brand have also been rolling off the production line in Beijing-Huairou.

In addition, Daimler has been producing Mercedes-Benz vans for the Chinese market in the Fujian Benz Automotive Corporation joint venture since April 2010.

Daimler Financial Services

has been providing automotive financing in China through Mercedes-Benz Auto Finance China since 2009. And together with BYD, Daimler has initiated the joint venture Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co. Ltd to develop an electric vehicle for the Chinese market. This joint venture was officially approved in March 2011.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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Mercedes-Benz Cars posts new global sales record in November 2012

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This past month Mercedes-Benz sold more vehicles than ever before in the month of November. With sales of 120,346 units the previous year's record was topped by 5.7%. Since January, Mercedes-Benz has delivered a total of 1,194,904 passenger cars (+5.1%) worldwide, which is also a new record. The Mercedes-Benz Cars division also set new sales records for November and the year to date. In the course of the year thus far, 1,291,287 units (+4.9%) of the brands Mercedes-Benz, smart and Maybach have been delivered.

Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars: "In November we posted a new sales record again. Shortly before the end of the year we thus continue on course to making 2012 the biggest-selling year in company history so far. I am particularly pleased about the favorable response to our new vehicles. Above all else the A-Class is trending excellently. The renewed recognition as Germany’s strongest car brand by the ADAC AutoMarxX is a great confirmation that Mercedes-Benz has set the right course for a successful future."

Mercedes-Benz sales are at an all-time high since the start of the year in all countries of the NAFTA region (279,675 units; +11.4%).

In the USA the brand with the star continues to be the premium brand with the most new registrations in 2012. Unit sales rose from January through November to a record level of 245,910 vehicles, an increase of 12.0%. Last month the high level of the previous year was topped by another 13.1% (30,315 units).

Mercedes-Benz is likewise since the beginning of the year, the premium manufacturer with the biggest number of new registrations in the domestic market, and according to the ADAC AutoMarxX study the strongest car brand in Germany. Despite the model changeover for the high-volume A-Class, so far 238,393 units of the brand were handed over to customers (+0.6%) this year. Thus, the previous year's high sales level was maintained. In November 24,365 vehicles (+0.2%) were sold. On the still declining Western European market (outside Germany), Mercedes-Benz again reports a very positive trend in November.

With 22,962 units sold, the brand achieved an increase of 6.1% and managed to gain additional market shares in almost all markets. The company achieved particularly high growth rates last month mainly in the United Kingdom (+9.9%) and France (+37.6%).

In China (incl. Hong Kong) 177,301 customers have opted for a new model from the Mercedes-Benz brand (+4.2%) since the start of the year. This marks a new sales record for the period. In November, however, sales in China were slightly down.

The brand with the star continued to post very positive results in Russia, South Korea and Japan. With increases of 26.9% and 6.9%, respectively, from January through November, sales in Russia and South Korea remained on a record course. In Japan unit sales rose during the same period by 23.8%. Thus, among the importers Mercedes-Benz is the premium brand with the most vehicle registrations in Japan.

Among the Mercedes-Benz model series, especially the compact car segment posted high growth rates. In November a total of 21,706 A- and B-Class vehicles were delivered to customers. That was 38.1% more than in the same month of the previous year. With the introduction of the new A-Class in further markets the company expects to get additional impulses for growth during the next few months.

Vehicles in the C-Class segment also continue to be popular. Since January sales have risen to 378,824 vehicles (+5.1%). The C-Class coupe is especially successful: in the year to date it nearly doubled its sales and is thus the top-seller in its segment. The same can be said of the S-Class sedan in the year before its model change. In year-to-date sales the S-Class segment posted growth of 5.0% (73,927 units).

With 27,732 units sold in November last years’ sales record in the E-Class segment was once again surpassed (1.9%). Demand for the SUVs from Mercedes-Benz ran particularly high again in the past month. With 29,722 units (+16.3%) sales in November rose to a new monthly high. So far in the overall year, sales in the SUV segment have also reached a new record high of 257,216 units (+16.1%). The new M-Class above all has sold outstandingly well to date in 2012. From January to November more than 100,000 models already were delivered to customers (+33.4%).

As in October the facelifted GLK (+45.9%) and the facelift of the G-Class (+108.3%) posted especially high growth rates last month. In November more units of the two vehicles were sold than ever before in this period.

With sales of 96,383 units (+2.2%), on the home stretch of the year smart is still on course to break the 100,000 unit sales mark also in 2012. In November the city runabout was especially popular with customers in the USA (+70.0%), China (incl. Hong Kong) (+16.7%) and Japan (+137.2%).

There was also another reason for the brand to celebrate in November. At the end of the month smart took the start with the biggest purely electric car2go fleet in Stuttgart. The capital city of Baden-Württemberg is thus the sixteenth city in which the mobility concept car2go is offered.

Overview of Sales by Mercedes-Benz Cars

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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A new record UK market share for Mercedes-Benz Cars in November 2012

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• Record registrations for the year-to-date for B-Class, C-Class Saloon, Estate and Coupé, SLK Roadster and Viano
• Passenger car market share grows to 4.4 per cent for the month, contributing to a 4.5 per cent share for the year – another new record
• Registrations up 9.8 per cent for the month, 12 per cent for the year
• Total of 6,625 cars registered in November – adding to a total of 85,819 cars for the year-to-date
• Year-to-date segment leaders include the C-Class Coupé, SLK-Class, E-Class Cabriolet, CLS-Class Coupé and S-Class
• High performance AMG brand records similarly high performing sales figures – up 88.1 per cent for the month and 135.8 per cent for the year
• smart fortwo registrations up 8.4 per cent YTD to 5102 new cars
• Strong Commercial Vehicles sales despite challenging market – Actros up 26.3 per cent for the month
• Vito Taxi registrations up 52.8 per cent for the month-to-date

Mercedes-Benz UK has achieved a record 4.5 per cent new car registration market share for the year-to-date, according to figures released today by the SMMT.

Leading the gain in market share were the B-Class, C-Class Saloon, Estate and Coupé, the SLK Roadster and Viano people carrier. Each added to their already impressive tally with record registrations for the year-to-date. Likewise, the C-Class Coupé, SLK-Class, E-Class Cabriolet, CLS-Class Coupé and S-Class each lead their respective market segments for the year-to-date.

An incredible year for the AMG high performance brand was sustained in November with a gain of 88.1 per cent for the month being added to a 135.8 per cent rise in the first 11-months of 2012. 5102 smart fortwos have been registered so far this year, up 8.4 per cent on 2011’s result.

In total, 6,625 cars were registered by Mercedes-Benz in the UK in November – adding to a total of 85,819 cars for the year-to-date.

Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle registrations continued to be strong, despite a challenging and highly competitive market. The new Actros recorded another impressive month, with sales up 26.3 per cent in November, contributing to a 38.4 per cent rise for the year.

Van registrations are on course for a significant rise compared to 2011, with a total of 22,728 vans registered between January and November contributing towards a 10.2 per cent gain for the year-to-date and a 12.3 per cent market share.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO Mercedes-Benz UK commented: ‘Nearing the end of the year, we’re in a great position in the UK with record market share performances. Our core vehicles continue to set record registrations – led by the C-Class family. We’re now looking forward to a even more impressive 2013 as we maintain and build on our market share with the introduction of the new A-Class and a range of other vehicles to UK customers.

‘Mirroring this, the Commercial Vehicle range is very strong in a hard-fought market. The new Actros is building up a substantial and loyal following while van sales are on course to finish 2012 in style with record registrations.’

Credits: Mercedes-Benz UK

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Mercedes-Benz USA Posts All-time Record with November 2012 Sales of 32,649 Units

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Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported an all-time sales record with November sales of 32,649 for combined sales of Mercedes-Benz, smart and Sprinter models, up 15.6% and delivering a record year-to-date total of 273,622 up 14.5%. The Mercedes-Benz model line alone recorded its highest November on record with sales of 30,315 for the month, up 13.1%, and 245,910 for the year up 12.0%.

"As the post-storm rebuilding gets underway, we're seeing a strong sales pace for the industry at large which will carry MBUSA to its highest year on record," said Steve Cannon, president and CEO, MBUSA.

Mercedes-Benz sales for the month of November were led by the C-, E- and M-Class model lines. The sporty C-Class – the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand on the car side for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers – took the lead with sales of 8,565, up 2.5%. The 9th generation E-Class followed with sales of 8,126 up 59.5%. MBUSA's top-selling SUV, the M-Class, rounded out the top three with sales of 3,894. Additionally, the sporty SLK roadster sold 427 vehicles for the month, up 107.3%.

At the high end, the all-new iconic sixth generation 2013 SL roadster – which debuted in showrooms this past spring -- posted sales of 573, an increase of 625.3% over last November.

On a year-to-date basis, top performers were again the C-Class with 73,940, the E-Class with 58,187 and the M-Class with 33,860.

Sales of the high-performance AMG models were up 30.8% for the year at 6,176 compared to the 4,721 vehicles sold over the same time last year.

Sales of the company's BlueTEC diesel models were up 7.9% for the year at 13,738 compared to the 12,727 diesels sold over the same period last year.

The company's smart brand continued thirteen consecutive months of sales increases. November sales of 704, were a 70.0% increase over November 2011 (414), bringing the year-to-date volume to 9,013, up 100.4% when compared to the 4,498 vehicles sold last year.

On the van side, Sprinter had a strong month with 1,630 vehicles sold in November, up 56.0% over last year and up 24.8% on a year-to-date basis.

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 7,113 vehicles in November; an increase of 28.6% when compared to November 2011 (sales of 5,530 vehicles). On a year-to-date basis, MBCPO sold 73,431 vehicles, an increase of 7.3% over the comparable period (with sales of 68,459 vehicles).

Mercedes-Benz November 2012 Sales Chart

Credits: Mercedes-Benz USA

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October 2012 proves to be another record month for Mercedes-Benz UK

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• 4.3 per cent market share for Mercedes-Benz UK in October, 4.5 per cent YTD
• Registrations up 11.9 per cent for the month, 11.8 per cent YTD
• A record 6,463 cars registered in October, with 79,194 registrations YTD
• Record October for B-Class, C-Class Estate, C-Class Coupé, G-Class and Viano
• AMG’s performance continues to rise – 144 per cent growth over 2011
• Strong performance continues for Commercial Vehicles

Mercedes-Benz UK has successfully started the last quarter of 2012, according to figures released by SMMT. A total of 6,463 new cars were registered, giving the company a market share of 4.6 per cent – up some 11.9 per cent on the same month last year.

Year to date (YTD), Mercedes-Benz has shown 12.3 per cent growth in new car registrations, maintaining its record-breaking market share of 4.5 per cent. So far this year, 79,194 new cars have been registered – the strongest growth of any main premium German brand.

Registration success was shared between private purchasers and fleet business, with October’s results showing growth of 27.2 per cent and 10.7 per cent respectively.

It was a record October for the B-Class with 630 new cars registered, and a record-breaking total of 5,795 YTD. C-Class has continued to perform well with a record month resulting in 523 Estate registrations and 872 Coupé registrations.

G-Class and Viano also had a strong month with Viano recording the highest October registrations at 741. The E-Class Cabriolet topped its segment with 254 registrations and the CLS-Class Coupé and S-Class outsold competitors with 198 and 126 registrations respectively.

All body styles of the C-Class have proved popular with retail customers, with a mix of the Saloon, Estate and Coupé accounting for 968 new privately-purchased cars taking to the roads in October – which has contributed to a 68.6 per cent increase across the models compared to 2011 YTD.

AMG registrations have more than doubled to 1,750 YTD - a 144.8 per cent increase compared with 2011. The top performers in October include the C 63 AMG Saloon and Coupé, which have racked up 121 registrations in the month (1,001 YTD).

CLS 63 AMG Coupé registrations were up with 121 registered YTD and since its launch earlier this year there have been 51 registrations of the ML 63 AMG.

Commercial vehicles

Vans and trucks have shown consistently strong performance in 2012, with YTD growth of 13.6 per cent (Vans) and 12.3 per cent (Truck).

Vito has grown by 20.4 per cent YTD and 477 Vito Taxis have taken to Britain’s streets in 2012, up 66.8 per cent YTD.

Atego and Actros trucks have risen significantly YTD. Atego has increased 32.9 per cent YTD while Actros has grown 40.1 per cent over the same period. Econic, the specialist Refuse Collection Vehicle, has grown 16.2 per cent YTD, with 437 vehicles servicing the country‘s refuse collection and recycling needs.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO Mercedes-Benz UK commented: “Our October performance has been really encouraging. B-Class and C-Class continue to break records and we are heading for one of our best years ever for AMG. We are continuing to maintain record market share levels and our products are being well received.

“Commercial Vehicles have also put in a strong performance throughout October and with Citan, our new city van, the CLS Shooting Brake and the new A-Class joining us very soon the whole team, and our customers of course, have a lot to look forward too.”

Credits: Mercedes-Benz UK

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Mercedes-Benz Cars Division Starts with Record Global Sales into the Fourth Quarter of 2012

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Following up on the record sales in the first three quarters, Mercedes-Benz posted a new sales record in October as well. With 109,632 vehicles delivered, the record of the same month in the previous year was topped by 6.0%. Thus, the brand has sold 1,074,558 vehicles (+5.1%) since the beginning of the year, which is also a new record.

The Mercedes-Benz Cars division likewise posted new record highs both in October and the year to date. Last month, the company delivered 118,609 units (+6.2%) of the Mercedes-Benz, smart and Maybach brands to customers. The total for January to October came to 1,162,519 vehicles (+4.9%).

Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars: "With our sales record in October we have started successfully into the fourth quarter. Our new models, spearheaded by the new A-Class and B-Class, are giving us significant tailwind. We are expecting a new worldwide sales record for the full year as well. In our currently largest market, the U.S., we are on record course with high growth rates and can thus again secure our market leadership since the beginning of the year."

In Germany, Mercedes-Benz sold 23,270 vehicles in October. Thus, sales increased 3.0% compared to last year. The top favorites were the new compact models of the A-Class and B-Class, the M-Class and the facelifted GLK model. In the full year to date, sales in Germany are at 214,028 units (+0.7%). The brand thus remains marketleader on its domestic market since the beginning of the year.

In the remaining Western European market (without Germany), Mercedes-Benz posted strong sales in October. With deliveries of 22,543 new vehicles the brand recorded a plus of 7.4% – primarily also thanks to the first deliveries of the new A-Class. Thus, Mercedes-Benz could gain additional market shares almost everywhere in Western Europe. With 246,247 units recorded since the beginning of the year sales are slightly above the previous year's level (+1.0%). The brand with the star posted particularly high growth rates in October in France (+19.9%), Belgium (+26.0%) and Switzerland (+11.5%). With a sales increase of 10.7% since the beginning of the year, the company even posted a new sales record in the UK.

The development in the NAFTA Region continues to be very positive. In the U.S., Mercedes-Benz has sold 215,596 vehicles (+11.9%) since the beginning of the year, and 23,978 units in October (+5.9%) – both times a new record despite the hurricane “Sandy”. Mercedes-Benz is thus still the most sold premium brand in the U.S. in the year to date. The brand again achieved record sales in Mexico. In October alone, 27.4% more vehicles were handed over to customers than in the same month of the previous year.

In China (incl. Hong Kong), year-to-date sales rose by 5.5% to a new sales record of 160,425 units. The month of October with 15,895 units sold, was short of the very strong October sales in the previous year (p.y. 16,539 u.). With the full availability of the recently launched high-volume B-Class, the company expects additional momentumin the next months. The facelift of the GLK is already doing very well (+40.8%). The S-Class sedan remains market leader in China in the last year of its lifecycle. Additionally, the company is continuing its work on the development of a new sales organzation that will contribute to the long-term and sustainable development of
Mercedes-Benz in China.

Mercedes-Benz sales continued to develop very dynamically in Russia and Japan. In Japan, the company posted a sales increase of 24.6% since January. In Russia, Mercedes-Benz reached a new sales record with a plus of 26.4%. Also in Australia the brand registered a new sales record since the beginning of the year.

After the successful market launch of the A-Class in Europe and strong sales of the B-Class, the compact car segment showed a plus of 34.3% in October. Overall, 20,923 A-Class and B-Class vehicles were handed out to customers last month. Since the new A-Class is currently still in the start-up phase, the compact car segment will gain additional sales momentum in the coming months. In addition the A-Class will be launched in further important markets. In December, for example, in the UK. China and Japan will follow in the coming year.

At 344,036 units (+7.1%), sales in the C-Class segment have been developing very well in the year to date. Especially popular in October was the coupe as the top selling vehicle in its class. Since the beginning of the year it was already sold nearly 40,000 times. In the year before its facelift sales of the E-Class sedan were on the previous year’s level in October (-0.3%).

Strong growth rates were posted by the S-Class segment with a plus of 21.4% in October. Thus, deliveries for the year amounted to 67,548 units (+5.3%). The S-Class sedan, which is celebrating its naming anniversary this fall, continues to hold the pole position in its segment since the beginning of the year. The flagship of the Mercedes-Benz brand was given the name "S-Class“ for the first time exactly 40 years ago. The SUVs of the brand posted new sales records both since the beginning of the year and in October. With a plus of 16.1%, 227,494 units were delivered to customers since January. The total for October was 26,174 units (+22.6%). The demand was especially high for the facelifted GLK, which reached new highs both in October (+32.7%) and the year to date (+10.5%). The likewise facelifted G-Class, even doubled its sales, thus marking a new sales record last month. With an increase of 37.9% the M-Class is also at a new record high since the beginning of the year. Moreover, it is the top seller in its segment for the year to date.

Despite the continued difficult market environment in Southern Europe the smart sub-compact brand also developed positively in October. In the previous month, a total of 8,977 smart fortwo (+8.1%) were delivered to customers worldwide. Sales in the year to date are thus at 87,961 units (+2.4%). Therefore, smart is well on course to hold the good sales level of the previous year. The innovative two-seater posted particularly high growth rates in October in the USA (+205.2%), Great Britain (+37.3%), Canada (+70.4%) and Japan (+91.3%). The city runabout most recently ranked first among the sub-compact cars in the customer barometer of ADAC, which yearly measures drivers' satisfaction with their vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz Cars October 2012 sales at a glance

Credits: Daimler AG

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