Photo: Catalin Garmacea
Mercedes bosses should be feeling jubilant right about now, probably wondering how they're going to spend their bonuses. That's because the German car company recently reported a 12.8% jump in global sales for the month of May 2015. For a mainstream brand selling luxury goods, that's huge.
Increased sales were registered in almost all the major markets and all niches Mercedes targets. However, the numbers were largely helped by gains in the US and China, plus the high demand for SUVs, compact models and the C class.
Even the Smart brand of city cars did well, with demand increasing 46 percent to 11,142, boosted by the all-new Fortwo and Forfour.
Europe continues to be the biggest market, accounting for 65,056 sales, a 5.1% increase for May. So far this year, demand is us 10% to an all-time-high number of 316,324. Of the major markets, growth was strongest in China where sales were up 20 percent to 27,562, while deliveries in the US increased 11 percent to 29,583.
On a model-by-model basis, Mercedes grew in the compact car segment, helped by the GLA crossover and CLA four-door coupe. In total, 46,363 small models were sold, so one in about four Mercedes-Benz is now front-wheel drive. These models have never sold so well as they did in May, and pretty soon Mercedes is going to open a factory in North America to keep up with demand.
However, the biggest single model for the brand remains the C-Class. Demand grew by 59.5% to 33,016 units in May and for the first five months of the year 174,875 models were sold (+57.3%).
Sales of SUVs were up 19%, but Daimler expects the all-new GLC-Class model that's coming out this month to have a huge impact.
"With the GLC, which celebrates its world premiere in Germany this month, we plan to build on our success story,” Mercedes sales chief Ola Kaellenius said. “Its predecessor, the GLK, is currently our top-selling SUV."
Even the Smart brand of city cars did well, with demand increasing 46 percent to 11,142, boosted by the all-new Fortwo and Forfour.
Europe continues to be the biggest market, accounting for 65,056 sales, a 5.1% increase for May. So far this year, demand is us 10% to an all-time-high number of 316,324. Of the major markets, growth was strongest in China where sales were up 20 percent to 27,562, while deliveries in the US increased 11 percent to 29,583.
On a model-by-model basis, Mercedes grew in the compact car segment, helped by the GLA crossover and CLA four-door coupe. In total, 46,363 small models were sold, so one in about four Mercedes-Benz is now front-wheel drive. These models have never sold so well as they did in May, and pretty soon Mercedes is going to open a factory in North America to keep up with demand.
However, the biggest single model for the brand remains the C-Class. Demand grew by 59.5% to 33,016 units in May and for the first five months of the year 174,875 models were sold (+57.3%).
Sales of SUVs were up 19%, but Daimler expects the all-new GLC-Class model that's coming out this month to have a huge impact.
"With the GLC, which celebrates its world premiere in Germany this month, we plan to build on our success story,” Mercedes sales chief Ola Kaellenius said. “Its predecessor, the GLK, is currently our top-selling SUV."
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