Mercedes-Benz delivered 1,512,268 vehicles to customers worldwide in the first eight months of this year, thus setting a new record (+1.1%).
Never before in the company’s history were sales of 1.5 million vehicles achieved earlier in the year. Mercedes-Benz sold 155,918 (-8.5%) vehicles worldwide in August, the 30th consecutive month with global sales of more than 150,000 units due to the ongoing strong demand for cars with the three-pointed star. As expected, however, there was an impact on unit sales in August from challenges relating to vehicle availability, including model changes and delays in vehicle certification in some markets. Nevertheless, Mercedes-Benz defended in the first eight months of the year its position asthe best-selling premium brand worldwide.
“Iam delighted that Mercedes-Benz reached the mark of 1.5 million cars delivered earlier than ever in the year. As a strong team, we will continue to work on meeting the ongoing high demand for our vehicles, also again in terms of delivery,”stated Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales. “And with the EQC,we have presented the first fully-electric SUV of our EQ product and technology brand to the world public in Stockholm. We will set additional markers and impulses in the marketwith the EQC,” Seeger continued.
In Europe, Mercedes-Benz sold 54,989 vehicles in August (-10.7%). In the first eight months of the year, sales totalled 597,347 units (-3.9%). In Germany, the domestic market, Mercedes-Benz delivered 21,442 vehicles with the three-pointed starin August (-14.8%) and a total of 195,163 cars were handed over to customers in Germany in the first eight months of this year (-4.2%). In France, Spain, Sweden, Poland and Denmark,more cars with the starwere sold in the first eight months than ever before in that period.
In theAsia-Pacificregion, demand for Mercedes-Benz models in the first eight months of the yearled to a new record of 639,184 units sold (+9.8%). Last month, the brand with the star delivered 72,342 vehicles in that region,which is just slightly below the prior-year level (-1.3%). In China, the biggest market,a new high for an August was achieved with salesof 53,295 cars (+5.5%). So far this year, 446,075 vehicles have been handed over to customers – more than ever before in the first eight months of a year (+13.9%). Mercedes-Benz achieved additional sales recordsfor the first eight months also in Japan, India, Thailand and Malaysia.
In theNAFTA region, 24,538 vehicles with the three-pointed star were delivered to customers last month (-19.5%) and a total of 240,671 Mercedes-Benz cars were sold in the period of January to August (-5.5%). Mercedes-Benz delivered 199,215 vehicles in the USA in that period (-6.6%) and 20,339 in August (-19.8%). The brand with the stardefended its market leadership in the US premiumsegment in the first eight months. Thanks to strong growth in Mexico, Mercedes-Benz once again achieved record unit sales in that market for an August and for the first eight months.
The E-Class Saloon and Estateset a new record with sales of 25,367 units last month (+0.4%). Since the market launch of the current models,more than 700,000 customers worldwide have been delighted toreceive their new E-Class Saloon or Estate.
Mercedes-Benz increased its sales of the S-Class Saloon in August by 30.3% to 5,254 units. From January to August,more than 53,000 units of the S-Class Saloon were sold (+26.6%). Thanks to a double-digit growth rate worldwide, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Saloonachieved its highest unit salesso far in the first eight months of a year.
A new record was set by the SUV since the first eight months of this year: Worldwide, a total of 541,120 SUVs with the star were delivered, an increase of 5.4%. An important driver of this growth wasthe global popularity of the GLC and GLC Coupés. The sales success of the midsize SUVs from Mercedes-Benz will be continued with the EQC, which had its world premiere in Stockholm as the first fully electric SUV from the EQ product and technology brand.