Penny pinching consumers: Mercedes-Benz Cars sells 1,158,200 vehicles this year

Muamer Hodzic December 5, 2008

Mercedes-Benz Cars sales this year is just another indication on how hard the middle class has been hit by job cuts and downsizing. The middle class is the bread and butter for MB, but the more consumers worry about their future, the less time/money they can spend on Mercedes cars. Mercedes Benz Cars has sold 1,158,200 passenger vehicles worldwide since the beginning of the year (January-November 2007: 1,169,900 units, minus 1%). Because of the increasingly difficult market development in Western Europe, the U.S. and Japan, a total of 84,500 Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart and Maybach brand vehicles were delivered to customers in November (November 2007: 113,000 units, minus 25 %).

Customers bought 1,034,700 Mercedes-Benz brand vehicles worldwide since the beginning of the year (January-November 2007: 1,079,400 units, minus 4 %). A total of 74,400 Mercedes-Benz vehicles were sold in November (November 2007: 102,700 units, minus 28 %).

Deliveries of smart brand vehicles amounted at the high level of the previous year with 10,100 units (November 2007: 10,300 units). smart continues to post double-digit sales growth since the beginning of the year with the total now amounting to 123,500 units (January-November 2007: 90,500 units, plus 37 %).

Deliveries in the C-Class segment have continued to develop very positive since the beginning of the year, rising by 16 percent worldwide to 408,100 units (January-November 2007: 350,800 units). The new C-Class station wagon in particular is extremely popular with customers. Sales of the station wagon numbered 5,400 units in November, a threefold increase on the figure for the same month last year (November 2007: 1,800 units). The C-Class sedan has maintained its position as the worldwide market leader in its segment since the beginning of the year. A total of 500,000 C-Class sedans and station wagons have been delivered to customers since the new C-Class series was introduced to the market. Demand for the new CLC sports coupe also remains high, with sales almost doubling in November, to 2,100 units (November 2007: 1,200 units).

Since the beginning of the year, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has maintained its leading market position in the luxury sedan segment worldwide. From December 2008, Mercedes-Benz will begin offering the new S 320 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, which is one of the most fuel-efficient and therefore most economical luxury sedans. Compared to its predecessor, the new model variant will reduce fuel consumption by around ten percent to 7.6 liters per 100 kilometers while offering the same level of performance, comfort and driving pleasure.

In addition, Mercedes-Benz recently presented the C 350 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY featuring second-generation gasoline direct injection. At 8.3 liters of premium gasoline per 100 kilometers, the new model consumes around 14 percent less fuel than the current C 350. At the same time, the innovative V6 engine delivers 15 kW more power and already complies with the future EU5 emissions standard.
In Germany, Mercedes-Benz delivered 277,700 passenger vehicles to customers from January to November (January-November 2007: 283,300 units, minus two percent). In November, the brand performed better than the German market as a whole and was able to gain additional market shares. In an increasingly difficult market environment, sales of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Western Europe totaled 589,100 units during this period (January-November 2007: 626,800 units, minus six percent). Mercedes-Benz delivered 206,400 vehicles to customers in the U.S. since the beginning of the year (January-November 2007: 225,900, minus nine percent).

Mercedes-Benz has continued to expand in the important automotive growth markets China and Russia since the beginning of the year. Sales of Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles rose by 45 percent in China, to 38,800 units (January-November 2007: 26,800 units). In Russia, the brand’s sales rose eleven percent in the year to date, to 15,500 units (January-November 2007: 14,000 units). Sales were also up for Mercedes-Benz in the Middle East, where sales of passenger vehicles have risen by 13 percent since the beginning of the year, to 19,600 units (January-November 2007: 17,300 units).

Overview of Sales by Mercedes-Benz Cars

Â	November 2008*	% change	Jan.-November 2008	% change
Mercedes-Benz	74,400	-27.6	1,034,700	-4.1
smart**	10,100	-1.2	123,500	+36.5
Â	Â	Â	Â	Â
Mercedes-Benz Cars	84,500	-25.2	1,158,200	-1.0
Western Europe	50,500	-25.2	683,400	-4.1
– of which Germany	24,400	-22.9	306,900	-1.5
NAFTA	18,100	-27,2	256,800	+3.3
– of which U.S.	16,000	-29.9	228,700	+1.2
Asia/Pacific	9,700	-25.8	136,200	+7.0
– of which Japan	2,100	-46.0	34,100	-14.8
– of which China	2,900	-10.5	38,900	+44.9