Mercedes-Benz starts 2016 with record global sales

Following its record results of last year, Mercedes-Benz continued the trend in 2016 with sales of 150,814 vehicles in January, an increase of 19.9% compared with the same month of last year. This means that the Stuttgart-based company with the three-pointed star has grown for the 35th consecutive month.

Ola Källenius, member of the board of management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales commented, “We continued the positive development of record year 2015 in January, and started the new year successfully. At the beginning of the year, our unit sales were particularly high in China, where we handed over more than 40,000 vehicles to customers.”

Sales by region

The European market continued to develop positively for Mercedes-Benz, with a 15.2% increase in unit sales to 54,937 vehicles. Particularly strong growth of more than 20% and record unit sales were achieved in Great Britain, Spain, Belgium and Switzerland. In the carmaker’s home market, 15,779 vehicles were sold, up 1.8% YoY. In Great Britain, Switzerland and Portugal, the company gained market leadership amongst the premium manufacturers.

In the Asia-Pacific region, sales totaled 63,440 units in the first month of the year, up 37.1% YoY. In China, the biggest market for Mercedes-Benz, sales in January were 52% higher than in the prior-year month amounting to 42,671 units. In South Korea, Australia and Taiwan, Mercedes-Benz was the premium brand with the most new registrations; Mercedes-Benz continues to be the market leader amongst the premium importers also in Japan.

In the NAFTA region, unit sales increased by 2.3% to 28,185 vehicles in January. Sales in the USA amounted to 24,664 units as the carmaker achieved record sales in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Sales by model

In January, 45,840 customers decided in favour of an A- or B-Class, a CLA, a CLA Shooting Brake or a GLA. As a result, unit sales increased by 35.9% YoY.

Further, 31,993 units of the C-Class saloon and estate were sold – the best January so far for the best-selling Mercedes-Benz model. The new C-Class coupé was very popular in the first month after its market launch in December 2015.

Moreover, the E-Class saloon and estate were among the best-selling models of Mercedes-Benz. The new E-Class saloon had its world premiere at the NAIAS in Detroit in January. Meanwhile, the S-Class maintained its position as the world’s best-selling luxury saloon in the first month of the new year, which was especially popular in China.