Mercedes car sales jump 5 per cent during January-August 2008

Mumbai: The Mercedes-Benz Cars division posted an increased sales by five per cent in the January -August sales in 2008.  According to the automaker, a total of 857,600 Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart, and Maybach brand vehicles were delivered to customers in the first eight months of 2008 as compared to 817,600 units in the same period last year.

In August, demand was particularly high for the new Mercedes-Benz models. The company sold 1,500 CLC sports coupes compared to 900 vehicles sold in August 2007, which represents an increase of 60 per cent compared to previous year. The SLK-Class roadster continues to bepopular with August sales accounting for1,800 units of the compact roadster, which is nine per cent more than the 1,700 units sold in the same month of 2007.

Mercedes-Benz also delivered 30,900 units of all models in the C-Class segment in August 2008, which is higher than the 30,800 units sold in August 2007.

Strong growth was also posted by the SL-Class, which sold around 1,100 vehicles in August this year, an increase by 31 percent compared to 800 vehicles sold in August 2007.

Developments were very positive for Mercedes-Benz in the Asia-Pacific region during the 2008 sales from January to August. In all, the brand sold 99,400 vehicles in the region during the period, recording an increase of 14 per cent on the 87,300 units sold between January and August 2007. Sales growth was particularly strong in China, where Merceds sales increased by 58 per cent to 25,100 passenger vehicles as compared to 15,900 units sold in the same period of 2007.

In Germany, deliveries of Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles also rose to 199,400 units compared to 198,800 sold during January-August 2007. The brand recorded a sales increase of one per cent in the US in the same period, with sales totaling 158,500 vehicles  as compared to 157,800 vehicles sold in January -August 2007.

Recently, the smart brand achieved a special milestone when the one millionth smart fortwo rolled off the production line at the Hambach plant. To mark the tenth anniversary of the car's production launch, smart unveiled the latest generation of the smart fortwo electric drive, which is equipped with a lithium-ion battery and which will be produced from the end of 2009 in a small series.

Also see: One million and still rolling: Mercedes smart fortwo completes 10 years