177,819 Mercedes-Benz cars were delivered worldwide, posting a new record for August (14%); Sales from January to August are approaching the high level of the previous year with more than 1.5 million units (-0.7%).
06 Sep 2019 | 10008 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
With sales of 177,819 cars in August, Mercedes-Benz has posted double-digit growth (+14.0%) for the second month in succession. It also saw double-digit sales growth in all three regions – Europe, Asia-Pacific and NAFTA – and in those regions’ core markets were achieved last month. The continuing popularity of compact ...
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With sales of 177,819 cars in August, Mercedes-Benz has posted double-digit growth (+14.0%) for the second month in succession. It also saw double-digit sales growth in all three regions – Europe, Asia-Pacific and NAFTA – and in those regions’ core markets were achieved last month. The continuing popularity of compact cars (+28.6%) helped drive overall sales and SUV sales also increased in August for the first time this year, due to sales stimulus from the new models (+8.7%). Worldwide deliveries also rose for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (+6.7%) and E-Class (+14.7%).
Sales of 1,501,405 units in the first eight months of the year by the Stuttgart-based company indicate they are approaching the high prior-year level (-0.7%). From January until August, Mercedes-Benz maintained its market leadership in the premium segment in markets including Germany, UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Canada and Republic of South Africa.
“August was the second month in succession for Mercedes-Benz in which we posted a new record for worldwide unit sales. The encouragement and loyalty of our customers are an absolutely positive signal for us in view of the current challenges for the entire industry,” said Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales. “Since August, our customers have been able to order the third generation of the compact-car family with hybrid drive. The EQ Power for the A- and B-Class demonstrates our plug-in offensive at Mercedes-Benz. By 2020, we want to expand the range to well over 20 model variants.”
Sales by region and market
In August, 62,213 cars were delivered in the Europe region, a new record for the month (+13.1%). Sales in Germany, grew by a double-digit rate, as in July, to 26,658 units (+24.3%). Last month was the best August of all time for unit sales in Belgium, Switzerland, Poland, Austria, Portugal and Denmark.
Sales of 82,310 cars in the Asia-Pacific region are higher than ever before in an August (+13.8%). From January to August, 642,603 units were delivered in the region – also a new high for the first eight months of a year (+0.5%). In China, the region’s core market, 60,134 customers received their new Mercedes in August, which is 12.8% more than in the prior-year month. Mercedes-Benz set sales records in China in both August and the first eight months of the year: 464,226 vehicles were delivered there in the period of January to August (+4.1%). A new August record was set also in South Korea and Vietnam last month.
Sales in the NAFTA region increased by a double-digit rate for the second month in succession to 29,678 units (+20.9%). As before, a key driver of sales growth in the region is its core market, the United States, where 24,771 Mercedes-Benz cars were sold in August (+21.8%). From January to August, sales of 196,779 units approached the prior-year level (-1.2%). Deliveries in Canada last month also increased by a double-digit percentage.
Sales by model
The company says the model change for the compact cars had a clear impact on sales in August: 48,900 units of the A- and B-Class, CLA, CLA Shooting Brake and GLA were delivered last month (+28.6%). The main growth drivers besides the A-Class are the B-Class (+46.4%) and the new CLA Coupé, deliveries of which more than doubled in Europe last month. In the first eight months of the year, approximately 417,000 compact cars were sold worldwide (+9.5%). The compact cars thus set records for both August and the period of January to August.
Deliveries of the E-Class Saloon and Estate reached a new record for an August: 28,200 units sold represent a year-on-year increase of 11.2%. The E-Class Saloon reported sales growth worldwide of 14.7%. In China, the long-wheelbase version of the E-Class Saloon was very popular (+11.7%).
Sales in the SUV segment increased for the first time this year due to the positive impact of the model changes: approximately 61,800 units sold in August of the GLA, GLC, GLC Coupé, GLE, GLE Coupé, GLS and G-Class represent a growth of 8.7%. The main effects of the recent model changes came from the upgraded generation of the GLC and the new GLE – both also reached a new high in August. Deliveries of the new G-Class increased by a strong double-digit rate last month and in the first eight months of this year have already surpassed the record level of full-year 2017.