NAFTA region and APAC sales drive Mercedes-Benz numbers in May

Mercedes-Benz has announced that it has sold over 151,135 vehicles to customers in May 2015, 12.8% more than in the same month of the previous year. The carmaker also recorded a double-digit sales increase since the beginning of the year with deliveries rising by 13.6% to 728,809 vehicles.

"With the GLC, which celebrates its world premiere in Germany this month, we plan to build on our success story,” says Ola Källenius, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales. “Its predecessor, the GLK, is currently our top-selling SUV,” continues Källenius.

In Europe, Mercedes-Benz sold more vehicles in the first five months of the year than ever before in this period –

316,324 units (+10.5%) and in May it sold 65,056 units. The company posted record sales in the UK (+11.6%), Sweden (+15.7%), and Portugal (+30.9%). With 22,252 units, sales in Germany were slightly higher in May than in the same month last year, making Mercedes-Benz the leading premium manufacturer in its home market. The brand also secured the market leadership in Italy and Portugal last month.

Sales in the NAFTA region rose by 13.8% (34,488 units) in May, achieving a new record. Of this, 29,583 units were sold in the USA (+11.1%). Together with the USA, Canada also achieved an all-time high with a sales increase of 32.8%.

Last month, the biggest increase was posted in the Asia-Pacific region, where sales rose by 23.4% to a record value of 46,260 vehicles. In China, sales increased by 19.8% to 27,562 units. In Japan, where Mercedes-Benz is the leading premium manufacturer, the brand sold 40.6% more vehicles in May than in the same month of the previous year. In Australia, Mercedes-Benz achieved a sales record with 2,385 units sold in May. Furthermore, the brand with the star recorded particularly strong growth in South Korea (+44.8%).

The demand for Mercedes-Benz compact cars continues to develop very positively, with deliveries rising to 46,363 units in May (+22.3%). Mercedes-Benz has never before sold so many compact cars in May. Both, the CLA and GLA posted sales records.

Global sales of the C-Class Saloon and Estate increased by 59.5% to 33,016 units in May. In the first five months of the year, Mercedes-Benz posted a new record with 174,875 vehicles sold (+57.3%). The brand with the star has delivered a total of more than eight million C-Class Saloons and Estates to customers since the model series was introduced in 1982.

Till May, the demand for E-Class Saloons and Estates was particularly high in China. Never before have so many E-Class Saloons and Estates been sold in the biggest sales market of these two models in the first five months of the year.

The S-Class Saloon is still the world’s best-selling luxury saloon in May, with sales rising to the record amount of 8,550 units. The biggest sales market of the model series is China followed by the USA.

The SUV segment posted a sales record in May with 41,210 units (+18.7%). The successor of the GLK, the GLC, will celebrate its world premiere in Germany in June. The demand for the GLK continues to be extremely high. Since the beginning of the year, more GLK have been sold in Germany and China than ever before in the corresponding period.