Mercedes-Benz's April 2014 Global Sales Rise 14.2% Driven By 38% Growth in China and Strong S-Class Sales

Mercedes-Benz handed over 133,077 vehicles to customers in April (+14.2%) or a total of 507,353 units since the beginning of the year (+14.9%).

Ola Källenius: “We are posting a double-digit percentage growth in sales for the tenth consecutive month, among others also due to the great success of the new C-Class.”

Sales increase in all regions of the world, especially in Europe, USA and China.

High demand for the S-Class sedan and “Dream car” models.

Mercedes-Benz started into the second quarter of 2014 with strong growth: In April, the company delivered 133,077 vehicles to customers around the world, posting growth of 14.2%. With sales of more than half a million vehicles, the brand recorded a sales increase of 14.9% since the beginning of the year.
“We are posting a double-digit percentage growth in sales for the tenth consecutive month, among others also due to the great success of the new C-Class”, said Ola Källenius, Member of the Divisional Board Mercedes-Benz Cars responsible for Marketing & Sales. “Our strong growth in April shows: We continue to be on the right course and are winning new customers for our brand worldwide.”
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cidflekken - 5/6/2014 12:05:20 PM

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Great results for Mercedes.

Once they can fix what needs to be fixed in China, primarily their dealership networks, they could potentially challenge for the top position. But that may be a couple of years off still.

Two things that BMW and Audi might be doing better than Mercedes: 1 - BMW is likely still more popular with the 20-30s crowd with the 3 Series offerings, but the new C-Class may cause a shift there and 2 - Mercedes has chosen not to make a mainstream entry-level sedan like the A3, which, kudos to Audi, is likely a more viable product at that level. Clearly, this was an intentional strategy by Mercedes as not to encroach on C-Class sales, but it may not help them on the sales front.

Benzes1 - 5/6/2014 6:02:27 PM

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Very good points guys.

nguyenvuminh - 5/6/2014 3:49:06 PM

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cid - I think you're spot on. The only thing I'd say about the CLA is that they could have made the driving dynamics better (less harsh). I understand your point about MB intentionally made the design unique (and thus will not sell as much) but they could have handle the driving dynamics better and, from what I've seen, the interior materials.

cidflekken - 5/6/2014 4:33:16 PM

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Yes., agreed. The key phrase here is "could have", but they chose otherwise. It's all part of the strategy. They needed to offer a very distinct product that wouldn't jeopardize sales of lower-end C-Class sedans or coupes. At the same time, the entry-level luxury market isn't that exciting with current cars like the ILX and Verano occupying that space, and the A3 not adding much more. The CLA has character. It has an image. Yes, it's polarizing. But it's not negative polarizing, if that makes sense. Based on sales, people are still drawn to it and the waiting list still exists. The good thing is, making adjustments to the ride and improving the interior materials is an easy fix. They did it with the mid-cycle refresh of the current C-class and the C continued its successful sales run.

cidflekken - 5/6/2014 4:38:26 PM

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I'll just add that Mercedes strategy with the CLA is similar to what BMW did with the 1 Series. There was 1 Series sedan, as not to jeopardize 3 Series sedan sales, the bread-and-butter sales leader.