Mercedes-Benz posts new sales record in November

December 06, 2012

Mercedes-Benz posts new sales record in November

6.12.12

Wheelsology

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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 per cent. Since January, Mercedes-Benz has delivered a total of 1,194,904 passenger cars (+5.1
per cent) 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 per cent) of the brands Mercedes-Benz, smart and Maybach have been delivered.

"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," said Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice-President Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars.

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 per cent).

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 per cent. Last month the high level of the previous year was topped by another 13.1 per cent (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 per cent) this year. Thus, the previous year's high sales level was maintained. In November 24,365 vehicles (+0.2 per cent) 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 per cent 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 per cent) and France (+37.6 per cent).

In China (incl. Hong Kong) 177,301 customers have opted for a new model from the Mercedes-Benz brand (+4.2 per cent) 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 per cent and 6.9 per cent, 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 per cent. 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 per cent 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 per cent). 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 per cent (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 per cent).

Demand for the SUVs from Mercedes-Benz ran particularly high again in the past month. With 29,722 units (+16.3 per cent) 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 per cent). 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 per cent).

As in October the facelifted GLK (+45.9 per cent) and the facelift of the G-class (+108.3 per cent) 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 per cent), 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 per cent), China (incl. Hong Kong) (+16.7 per cent) and Japan (+137.2 per cent).