July 2013: Mercedes-Benz USA

[William Maley]

Mercedes-Benz Sales Jump 22.5% in July For Seventh Record Month of 2013

• Retail volumes gain 10.6% to exceed 180,000 units YTD

MONTVALE, N.J., Aug. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported July sales of 26,423 units, an 18.5% boost over the 22,294 units sold in July 2012. Retail volumes at Mercedes-Benz reached 23,648 for the month—gaining 22.5% over the previous year—while year-to-date sales hit an all-time high of 165,598 units. Sprinter Van sales totaled 1,915, combining with 860 units sold at smart to bring MBUSA's grand total to 182,315 vehicles year-to-date. This makes July the seventh consecutive month of record-breaking sales at MBUSA for 2013.

"July delivered double-digit gains for both our passenger cars and light truck offerings, as our sales momentum shows no signs of slowing down," said Steve Cannon, president and CEO of MBUSA. "We have two major product launches—one at the high-end and one at the entry—around the corner. This will be a banner year for the brand, bringing a whole new level of quality and innovation to Mercedes-Benz and the luxury market."

Mercedes-Benz saw growth across its product portfolio, with July's top sellers comprised of the C-, E- and M-Class model lines. The sporty C-Class—the current gateway to the brand for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers—was the volume leader at 7,604 units for the month, up 34.3% from July 2012. The E-Class was a close second at 5,605, up 10.1%, while sales of MBUSA's top-selling SUV, the M-Class, soared 72.7% from the 1,790 units sold in July 2012 to 3,092.

The Sprinter model line, which receives a comprehensive redesign for the 2014 model year arriving this fall, posted sales of 1,915 for the month, while smart volumes grew 10.3% to 860 vehicles sold.

Sales of Mercedes-Benz's BlueTEC diesel models were 879 for July while the company's high-performance AMG models finished the month with sales of 464.

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 7,976 vehicles in July, an increase of 22% when compared to July 2012 (sales of 6,519 vehicles). On a year-to-date basis, MBCPO sold 56,980 vehicles, rising 24% over the comparable period (45,938 vehicles) in 2012.