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.August 11, 2004
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For the period from January to July 2004, the brand sold 607,100 vehicles, which is about seven percent lower than the figure posted during the first seven months of 2003. In Germany, Mercedes-Benz saw sales through July drop by about nine percent to 187,800 passenger cars. Rastatt plant converted to accommodate new A-Class; strikes cause production losses in Bremen und Sindelfingen The drop in Mercedes-Benz sales in July 2004 was chiefly due to the strike-related production losses at the plants in Sindelfingen and Bremen and the conversion of production facilities at the Rastatt plant in June to accommodate the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class. The latter had a particularly strong impact on sales in Germany and other European markets, while sales were further hampered by the fact that the month had one less working day than was the case last year. The new A-Class, which will be launched on the market in September, has already met with a great response among customers. Around 20,000 orders were received in Germany during the first six weeks after the vehicle, which is available in three-door and five-door versions, was released for sale. Altogether, more than 35,000 customers have opted for the new A-Class worldwide. As a result of these orders, about two-thirds of this year's sales target of 50,000 vehicles has already been met. "The sales figures for all Mercedes-Benz production series remain on track for the year as a whole," says Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Member of the Mercedes Car Group Management Board responsible for Sales and Marketing. "We expect sales of the new A-Class to increase substantially during the rest of the year. What's more, we will have a strong basis from which to achieve further medium-term sales growth once the model changeovers are completed and our expanded range of models is fully available." Increased sales of SLK-Class, C-Class and E-Class station wagon The new SLK-Class was successful in July, with record sales of 5,700 units worldwide. For the first seven months of 2004, sales of the SLK-Class amounted to 28,200 vehicles worldwide, and around 35,000 units have been ordered thus far. At 2,900 units, sales of the CLK convertible in July reached a new record, rising by 21 percent on the figure for July 2003. The model posted all-time highs not only for the month of July but also for the first seven months of the year. The C-Class as a whole also continued the positive sales development of the past several months, with sales rising by five percent to 43,100 automobiles. The C-Class sedan is the market leader in its comparative segment in Western Europe. Record global sales were also achieved in July by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class station wagon, which found 4,400 buyers, or about four percent more than in July 2003. For the first seven months as a whole, sales of the station wagon came in at 32,100 units. This result is another all-time high, and it exceeds the previous record by about 15 percent. The station wagon is therefore making a major contribution to ensuring that the Mercedes-Benz E-Class retains its lead on the world's markets. From January to July 2004, DaimlerChrysler sold 170,400 units of the sedan and station wagon models worldwide. Mercedes-Benz posts July sales record in the U.S. Mercedes-Benz USA experienced its best July ever with sales of 19,000 automobiles - over one percent more than the figure achieved in July 2003. On the back of record demand for the E-Class and continued high sales figures for C- and SL-Class vehicles, the company sold 122,100 passenger cars in the United States through July. This figure is slightly lower (two percent) than the record result posted during the same period in 2003. In July, DaimlerChrysler sold 6,200 Mercedes-Benz automobiles in Asia/Pacific (13 percent less than in July 2003). Sales through July 2004 amounted to 51,100 automobiles, and were therefore down about four percent on the record set for this period last year. China accounted for 5,900 of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles sold in the first seven months, an increase of over 50 percent on the results for the same period last year. smart sales up by about 15 percent in July Sales of the smart brand continue to develop favorably. Following a marked increase in the first half of the year, sales of the smart also rose in July, increasing by about 15 percent on the previous year's result to 13,600 units. smart delivered 75,900 vehicles to customers during the period from January to July, thus surpassing last year's figure by about 18 percent. Demand developed especially favorably during this period in the two important smart markets of France (6,600 units, up 22 percent) and Spain (4,600 units, up 71 percent). The new smart forfour made an important contribution to the positive development in sales, and more than 16,000 units of the four-seat small car have been sold since its market launch in April. The company expects sales to receive an additional boost in August when the diesel-powered smart forfour becomes available. In addition to the three gasoline engines already on sale, customers will then also be able to choose between a 50 kW (68 hp) and a 70 kW (95 hp) 1.5-liter cdi engine. For a complete sales year, the two fuel-efficient diesel variants of the smart forfour are expected to account for about 30 percent of the total number of sales of this series. These state-of-the-art engines, which are manufactured at the DaimlerChrysler plant in Untertürkheim, consume just 4.4 liters of diesel fuel in the NEDC combined cycle and already conform to the strict EU4 exhaust gas standard. smart fortwo cdi is the world's top-selling "three-liter car" Ever since its market introduction in December 1999, the cdi-engine-powered smart fortwo has remained the world's most successful and best-selling "three-liter car" - a reference to the fact that the vehicle consumes around three liters over a 100-kilometer-long stretch of road. More than 100,000 units of this vehicle have been sold to date, and the fortwo cdi is the undisputed leader in its comparative segment in Germany and Italy, its two main markets. In addition, the smart fortwo's diesel engine, which has a displacement of 0.8 liters and generates 30 kW, is the world's smallest series-produced engine with cdi technology on the market. Overview of Mercedes Car Group Sales
* Mercedes-Benz passenger cars(Aug 05, 2004)
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