August 2013: Mercedes-Benz USA

[William Maley]

Mercedes-Benz USA Hits Eighth Record-Breaking Month of 2013 as Sales Top 200,000 Units

• Mercedes-Benz brand posts 20.5% MTD gain at 24,761

MONTVALE, N.J., Sept. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported August sales of 27,144 units, an increase of 15.8% from the 23,439 vehicles sold in August 2012 including Mercedes-Benz, Sprinter and smart models.

Retail volumes for the Mercedes-Benz brand alone reached 24,761 for the month, up 20.5% from the previous year, while year-to-date sales climbed 13.0% to hit a record 190,359 units. Adding in year-to-date sales of 12,788 for Sprinter Vans and 6,312 units sold at smart brought MBUSA's year-to-date grand total to 209,459 vehicles, its highest on record.

"The market is continuing to pick up steam, our sales momentum is on record pace and we have two major new products hitting the market in the next few weeks," said Steve Cannon, president and CEO of MBUSA. "At $29,900 the CLA will open a whole new gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand, and our next generation S-Class will redefine the standards of luxury and innovation for the entire industry. We're looking at a record year not only in terms of sales but also for recalibrating the Mercedes-Benz model lineup to lead the industry."

August sales for the Mercedes-Benz brand were led by the C-, E- and M-Class model lines. The sporty C-Class – the current gateway to the brand on the car side for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers – took the lead at 6,701 units sold, up 2.8% from the same month in 2012. The E-Class followed with sales of 6,523 vehicles, jumping 44.5%, while MBUSA's top-selling SUV, the M-Class, rounded out the top three with sales of 3,816, up 70.1%. Strong performers at the high end included the company's legendary SL-Class roadster, posting an increase of 18.5% from August 2012.

The Sprinter model line, which receives a comprehensive redesign for the 2014 model year arriving this fall, delivered month-to-date volumes of 1,390 units, while smart sales vaulted 31.9% to 993, boosted by the growing popularity of the 2013 electric drive.

Sales of Mercedes-Benz's BlueTEC diesel models were 1,556 in August, increasing 104.7% from the 760 vehicles sold during the same period last year. The company's high-performance AMG models finished the month with sales of 732, up 14.9% fromAugust 2012.

Separately, the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program accomplished the best sales month in its history with volumes of 9,261 in August, an increase of 33.8% when compared to August 2012 (sales of 6,921 vehicles). On a year-to-date basis, MBCPO sold 66,241 vehicles, rising 25.3% over the comparable period (52,859 vehicles) in 2012.