Mercedes Posts 18 Percent Growth in 2010 Sales

The 9th generation E-Class was the volume leader for both the month and year, with December sales of 5,638, bringing its annual volume to 60,922 - a 41.4 percent increase over its volume in 2009. The C-Class - the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers - followed with monthly sales of 4,924 and a yearly total of 58,785, a 12.1 percent increase over last. Rounding out the top three volume lines was the popular M-Class SUV which posted monthly sales of 3,783 bringing its annual volume to 29,698, a 15.1 % increase over last year.

The growth in the C class is especially significant because Mercedes is introducing a redesigned model in February. Sales will typically wane among buyers who want to wait for the newest model to come out.

Ernst Lieb, president and CEO of MBUSA said in a statement: "Despite the challenges of a slow recovery, we see good indicators in terms of our sales volume throughout the model range. This is certainly due in large part to the customer-directed efforts we've undertaken here at MBUSA over the past few years and the extraordinary commitment of our retail network to provide an unmatched ownership experience. As virtually all third-party indicators show, customers are confident about the Mercedes-Benz brand and we think that will translate to even stronger momentum going forward."

Sales at the high end continued strong for 2010 with the commanding G-Class up 38.8 % for the year and the flagship S-Class sedan up 21.5 %. The company sold 48 of its top-of-the-line supercar - the SLS AMG - in December, bringing its annual total to 499.