Monday, April 18, 2011

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia car sales up 12.6% to 1,226 units in 1Q

KUALA LUMPUR: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia sold 1,226 passenger cars in the first quarter ended March 31, 2011, which was a 12.58% increase from the 1,089 units sold a year ago.

MBM said on Monday, April 18 this was a 'noteworthy milestone' as the best first quarter performance since 2003.

'Leading the charge, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class posted a 25% increase in the first three months of 2011 while cementing its position as one of the most preferred choices in its segment,' it said.

The increase in the sales was underpinned by strong customer demand especially from the business community for its superior comfort, elegance and power.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia said the E-Class remained the marquee's top model delivering 547 cars within that period, spearheaded by the E250 variant.

As for the Mercedes-Benz B-Class units, it recorded a 125% increase with 70 units sold in 1Q 2011 compared to a year ago.

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class also recorded 519 units sold in 1Q 2011. The fuel-efficient C200 and CGI C250 Blue Efficiency variants as well as the C300 Avantgarde AMG Sports Package introduced in 2010 buoyed the strong demand.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia president and chief executive officer Roland S. Folger the demand for the cars in the first quarter of 2011 mirrored its expectations for another positive performance for the rest of the year.

He said the B-Class has performed exceptionally well while the E and C-Class have maintained their status as the stars of its fleet.

'The continuing overall positive sentiment in the market has certainly been an encouraging influence on the automotive industry including on Mercedes-Benz Malaysia. Early on in the year, we proactively implemented strategies to support a more robust marketplace and higher consumer demand by stepping up production at our plant in Pekan.

'The resultant reduction in waiting period boosted sales of the C and E-Classes and contributed to our sales performance,' he added.

Mercedes-Benz's flagship, the S-Class recorded 68 units sold while the Mercedes-Benz R-Class sports tourer increased 22% while the M-Class continues to generate strong interest from premium SUV enthusiasts.

As for the commercial vehicle segment, the Mitsubishi FUSO trucks led MBM's commercial vehicle segment with an 11% increase in sales at over 460 units.

Global performance

Globally, Mercedes-Benz posted a double-digit growth in the first quarter of 2011 with a sales increase of 12.7% at 280,552 units worldwide (1Q 2010: 248,958 units).

The growth was particularly dynamic in China including Hong Kong), where sales rose to a record level of 42,990 units (1Q 2010: 24,127) up by 78.2% -- the highest recorded by any premium brand in China.

Mercedes-Benz also set new quarterly records in the BRIC countries of Russia (up 86.4%) and India (up 37.0%), while sales were up by 41.6% in Brazil. High growth rates were also achieved in Taiwan (up 74.5%), South Korea (up 16.8%) and Australia (up 16.9%).

The brand's second-largest market, the US saw a total of 53,346 car delivered to customers in 1Q 2011 (1Q 2010: 49,229), representing an 8.4% increase. Mercedes-Benz also achieved a new sales record in Canada, with 6,133 units sold in the first three months of the year.

In Germany, Mercedes-Benz maintained its leading premium brand position with 49,318 units (1Q 2010: 49,245). Sales in Western Europe (excluding Germany) totalled 73,261 units (1Q 2010: 70,472), up 4% on 1Q 2010.

Sales particularly increased in the UK (up 16.1%), Belgium (up 24.2%), the Netherlands (up 15.0%), and Sweden (up 30.6%).

The S and E-Class recorded 16,869 units and 78,570 units delivered respectively. The new CLS recorded'' a 148.6% increase in sales while SUV sales reached a new record of 54,958 units (up 33.2%).

The B-Class recorded a 32.4% increase in sales from a year ago. Sales of the facelifted smart fortwo also rose during the first quarter, totaling 24,981 units (1Q 2010: 22,753), up 9.8% on-year.

1 comment:

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