Mercedes-Benz Posts Global Sales Record in May

Sales of new B-Class are climbing with a record number of 54,321 sold from January to May.

Mercedes-Benz in May 2012 delivered 113,136 vehicles, + 4% compared to the record figure for 2011. Year-to-date 531,382 units or +8.4% have been delivered globally, the earliest in a year the 500,000 threshold has been crossed.

Mercedes-Benz Cars also had record sales in May and year-to-date. The company sold 577,378 Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Maybach brand vehicles (+8.0%) from January to May; 122,600 units were delivered in the past month (+3.1%).

Mercedes-Benz did well in the United States. During May, sales were at a new high of 22,515 units (+19.2%). There was also a sales record posted the Mercedes brand from January to May (106,364 units; +17.8%). Mercedes-Benz is leading the field of premium manufacturers in the U.S. market. Mercedes-Benz is also the best-selling premium manufacturer in Germany as 102,567 vehicles were delivered to customers in the first five months of 2012 (+6.5%).

On the still contracting Western European market – without Germany – Mercedes-Benz has sold 2.8% more vehicles since the beginning of the year than in the same period of the previous year (126,922 units). In the UK, new sales records were set both for May (+18.2%) and year-to-date (+11.8%). In Switzerland, sales increased by more than a third, leading to a new sales record since the beginning of the year.

Sales in China (including Hong Kong) are also at record levels for 2012. With 82,534 Mercedes-Benz cars from January to May, 8.7% more vehicles were delivered to customers than in the previous year. Due to the B-Class model changeover, the high-volume model series  currently limited availability in China. Nonetheless, with 16,529 units sold in May (+0.8%), sales figures are above last year’s record level.