OREANDA-NEWS.  Mercedes-Benz handed over 149,753 vehicles to customers in July (+15.2%). New sales records were set both in the month of July and in the first seven months of the year (1,048,178 units, +14.7%). This was due in particular to strong sales of the C-Class and the compact cars of the brand with the three-pointed star.

“We passed the one-million mark already in July. Never before have we delivered so many cars to customers in the first seven months of a year. About a quarter of them are C-Class Saloons and Estates,” says Ola K?llenius, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales.

In Europe, Mercedes-Benz once again posted a new sales record: 457,468 vehicles were handed over to customers in the first seven months of the year (+11.3%). Sales in Germany of 156,569 units since the beginning of the year were above the prior-year level (+6.0%). In July, Mercedes-Benz sold 24,178 vehicles in Germany (+7.8%), thus defending its market leadership amongst the premium manufacturers in the home market. Mercedes-Benz is the market leader also in Portugal. A new sales record was achieved in Great Britain, the second biggest European market of the brand, in July.

In the NAFTA region, strong demand for cars with the three-pointed star is unbroken: 31,483 units were delivered to customers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in July (+3.9%), thereof 27,526 in the USA (+1.2%). In all three countries, sales records were set in and per July. In Canada, Mercedes-Benz is the market leader amongst the premium manufacturers.

In the Asia-Pacific region, a new record level was reached per July with sales of 332,377 vehicles (+23.5%). Growth in the month of July was even stronger at a rate of 30.8% to sales of 47,838 units. In China, 29,540 vehicles were sold in July, representing an increase of 41.5% compared with the same month of last year. Unit sales reached new record levels also in Japan, South Korea, and Australia last month. In Japan and Australia, Mercedes-Benz continues to be the market leader amongst the premium importers.

July was another strong month for the compact cars of Mercedes-Benz, with sales of 49,973 units of the A- und B-Class, CLA, CLA Shooting Brake, and GLA (+33.0%). The CLA set a new sales record in both July and the first seven months of the year.

Sales of the C-Class Saloon and Estate increased last month by 83.1% to the record figure of 36,287 units. In the Asia-Pacific region, unit sales of the two models more than tripled compared with the same month of the previous year. In the C Class segment, Mercedes-Benz offers its advanced hybrid technology for both the Saloon and the Estate. Demand for the C 350 e has been rising since it was launched this spring.

The E-Class Saloon posted a new sales record in China in the first seven months of the year. China is the biggest sales market of the model.

The S-Class maintains its position as the world’s best-selling luxury saloon. Per July, 58,478 units were handed over to customers (+1.2%). Growth was especially strong in South Korea in July.

As a result of globally strong demand for Mercedes-Benz SUVs, unit sales of those models increased in July by 14.8% to a total of 39,197 vehicles. The GLA and the G-Class set new sales records per July. Demand for the GLK is at an ongoing high level even just before the market launch of its successor model.

Since the beginning of this year, 71,451 smart fortwo and smart forfour were sold (+31.5%) on a global level. In Germany and Italy, growth of the city runabout increased by more than 50% in that period. In China, the brand’s third biggest market, the new smart fortwo is available at the dealers since August. In the USA, the new generation will be launched in September.