Mercedes-Benz Strongest Premium Brand Worldwide with Record Sales in September – Plus 13 Percent

• Dr. Joachim Schmidt: "The positive development of the past several months makes us very confident for the fourth quarter in which we will continue to increase our sales. We are on track to achieving our target of increasing sales at Mercedes-Benz by more than ten percent in full-year 2010."

• Eleventh month in a row of double-digit growth — best sales month of 2010

• Record result in China; highest-volume premium brand in Germany and the U.S.

• High-value sales mix, due to increasing demand for E- and S-Class and SUVs

• Sales of the smart fortwo above previous year for the first time this year, with an increase of seven percent

Mercedes-Benz recorded the best September sales result in its history last month and was worldwide the premium brand with the highest sales volume. For Mercedes-Benz, September was the best sales month so far this year. Sales increased at a double-digit rate for the eleventh time in a row. The brand gained market shares in almost all markets. Mercedes-Benz delivered 118,600 vehicles (September 2009: 104,900) to customers worldwide in September, an increase of 13 percent. Sales since January now total 854,000 units (January-September 2009: 737,600), representing an increase of 16 percent.

"Sales developed better than expected in September," says Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars. "The number of deliveries was above the record figure for September 2007 and therefore higher than at the beginning of the economic crisis. The positive development of the past several months makes us very confident for the fourth quarter in which we will continue to increase our sales. In this context, we want to grow in our two biggest markets: Germany and the U.S. We expect sales to increase particularly rapidly in Asia, especially in China, and the other BRIC countries."

Sales will get an additional boost in the last quarter of 2010 from attractive new products such as the new generation of the CL- and the R-Class, both of which were launched in September. In addition, Mercedes-Benz is gradually introducing new and especially efficient six- and eight-cylinder gasoline engines with BlueDIRECT technology and a new generation of the six-cylinder diesel engine with ECO start/stop function in its model ranges. "We therefore are in an excellent position and on track to achieving our target of increasing sales at Mercedes-Benz by more than ten percent in full-year 2010," adds Schmidt.

Mercedes-Benz was able to boost sales in all regions in September. The dynamic sales growth of the past months continued in the Asia/Pacific region and the BRIC countries, with deliveries of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in China (incl. Hong Kong) doubling compared to last year (13,500 units, plus 98 percent) to a new record. "We continue to be the premium brand with the fastest growth in China," says Schmidt. "In September, we already surpassed this year's original sales target of more than 100,000 passenger cars. Thanks to the high demand, we have now raised the target to over 120,000 units." Double-digit sales growth was also recorded in all of the other BRIC countries: Brazil (plus 23 percent), Russia (plus 47 percent), and India (plus 92 percent). Within the Asia/Pacific region, Mercedes-Benz also posted high growth in Japan (plus 16 percent) and record sales in South Korea and Australia.

Mercedes-Benz sales also continue to grow in the U.S. In September, customer deliveries increased by 17 percent to 19,900 passenger vehicles (September 2009: 17,000). As a result, Mercedes-Benz had the highest sales of any premium automotive brand in the United States. For the first nine months of the year, sales amounted to 159,700 vehicles (January-September 2009: 135,400), representing an increase of 18 percent. In Canada, the brand posted another record result: Sales rose to 2,300 passenger vehicles.

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