Mercedes-Benz is starting into the second half of the year with a double-digit plus

* Ola Källenius: “We are using the momentum of the past months and are starting into the second half of the year with a sales growth of 11.3%.”

* The growth drivers include, among others, the models of the compact family, the SUVs and the S-Class. * Mercedes-Benz is gaining market shares around the world.

 After completing the best-selling half-year in the company’s history, Mercedes-Benz has posted yet another sales record in July. With 130,003 vehicles sold and an increase of 11.3%, the Stuttgart-based premium manufacturer has been blessed with the best ever month of July. Sales since the beginning of the year are at 913,523 units (+12.6%).

“We are using the momentum of the past months and are starting into the second half of the year with a sales growth of 11.3%. Our sales numbers are developing very well worldwide, and particularly strongly in the European markets”, said Ola Källenius, Member of the Divisional Board  Mercedes-Benz Cars responsible for Marketing & Sales. “Our new models of the compact family and our SUVs were real growth drivers.”

The company achieved another record in its second largest European market, Great Britain, with an increase of 11.1% and 8,330 vehicles sold. In Spain (+51.6%) and France (+34.5%), the manufacturer posted a particularly strong unit sales increase. Overall, 58,205 customers (+7.6%) picked up a vehicle of the brand in July in Europe – including 22,427 customers in Germany (py. 22,501 units). Mercedes-Benz is thus gaining significant market shares in Europe. With a share of 9.3%, Mercedes-Benz is the most sold premium brand in its domestic market.

The sales numbers in the USA rose by 15.0% to 27,192 units in July – another sales record. In the largest sales market of the company, the

B-Class Electric Drive celebrated its market launch in the middle of the last month. It will be available for sale in Europe by the end of 2014.

Mercedes-Benz is also continuing its success story on the Asian market. In July 2014, 20,871 Chinese customers picked up their vehicles; 12.6% more than in the same period of the previous year. In Japan, where

Mercedes-Benz continues to lead the market among the importers, July sales grew by 13.5%. Sales in South Korea jumped by as much as 45.7%.

The compact car family of Mercedes-Benz continues to be a growth driver, especially in the European markets. In July alone, the company delivered a total of 37,579 vehicles of the A-, B-, CLA- and GLA-Class to its customers (+30.5%).

After the successful start of the C-Class sedan, the new estate model is now also ready to order. It will come to market in September. It is an important model, particularly for the European markets: Almost half of all C-Classes here are estate models. In the future, the long-wheelbase version of the C-Class will be of central importance in China. The first C-Classes with an extended wheelbase began to roll off the line at the Beijing plant a few days ago. The market launch of the new C-Class in China will also be in September.

The long-wheelbase version of the E-Class has been available in China since 2010. The new generation has been on the market for one year. July sales of the E-Class in China totaled more than 4,500; more than twice as many as in the previous year’s period. Worldwide, 19,015 sedans of the E-Class were sold in July (+9.7%).

Mercedes-Benz continues to build up its leading position in the luxury segment. With 8,548 S-Class sedans sold, unit sales more than doubled in July (+114.9%).

The SUVs also continue to post growing sales numbers. July sales of the vehicles in the segment were 10.3% higher than in July of last year. The demand for the GLK (+22.1%) was particularly strong.

The city runabout smart fortwo was chosen by 7,508 customers in July

(py. 7,679). Particularly successful was the smart in the United States, where more vehicles were sold than ever before. With the market launch of the new smart fortwo and smart forfour on November 22, 2014, smart will again offer the possibility of choosing between a two seater and a four seater. The two models carry on the established concept for modern urban mobility, but offer more space and additional equipment possibilities.