May 2011 was the most successful May in Mercedes-Benz history, after the company chalked up 108,766 worldwide sales thanks in part to continued growth in Brazil, Russia, India and China.
The sales figures for May 2011 marked a 7.3 per cent rise on 2010’s figure of 443,394. Total sales for 2011, which stand at 490,021, are up 10.5 per cent on 2010’s figure of 443,394 for the same period.
In a statement, the Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars, Joachim Schmidt, said: “The upswing we’ve experienced in recent months continued in May with a new sales record. Once again, growth was in particular driven by the BRIC countries”.
“We achieved high growth rates in all of them. The strong demand for our new C-Class generation is also contributing to our dynamic development. This will also be the case with the new C-Class coupe, which hit dealerships last Saturday and has already met with an outstanding customer response.”
The Mercedes C-Class Coupe has already won the hearts of motorists the world over who love to speed along in a top-of-the-range prestige vehicle with a sporty edge. The model’s sleek curves and ultra-modern stylings come complete with the AMG Sports Package that includes 18″ alloy wheel trims.
The C-Class was launched earlier this year and Mercedes-Benz gave their customers no less than five different engine options. Three petrol engines and two diesel engines are available with the C-Class, with the most economical being the C 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, which comes equipped with the flagship ECO start/stop function and a manual six-speed transmission.
Following the significant boost provided by the C-Class, Mercedes will look to capitalise on the launch of the M-Class, which launched this week. The luxury 4×4 is expected to rival Range Rover in the market and poses a significant threat, with its spacious interior and impressive arsenal of gadgets.
The M-Class has launched with three different engine options; a four-cylinder diesel, a heavily-revised petrol V6 and a diesel V6. An eco-friendly hybrid diesel version is expected to follow, further expanding the M-Class’ reach into the 4×4 market and opening up the possibility of car insurance incentives for eco-friendly drivers.
The fact that Mercedes-Benz cited the BRIC nations as a significant contributor to their record sales figures speaks volumes about the current state of the motoring industry – and its future. For a number of years, motoring industry analysts have been pointing to Brazil, Russia, India and China as the way forward for car sales, given the lower levels of debt in those countries and the smaller proportion of cars that are bought on credit.
Indeed, China is now the world’s biggest auto market, after overtaking the USA in 2009. Car sales in China grew by 6.5 per cent between March 2010 and March 2011, signalling that the region remains a fertile ground for manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz.
