Daimler Sets Sales Record in China

Daimler joins the ranks of German manufacturer who are more than pleased with how things are going in China. The company has posted record sales in the country in June, with total deliveries amounting to 4,900 vehicles (34 percent increase over June 2008).

Overall, the group is still experiencing decrease, even if at a slower pace than until now. Daimler sold in June 111,300 Mercedes-Benz, AMG, smart, and Maybach brand vehicles, seven percent down from one year ago.

“The development of sales in June exceeded our expectations,” Klaus Maier, Mercedes-Benz Cars vice president said in a release. “By the end of the second quarter of the year we had reduced our inventory and the inventory at the dealerships to the lowest levels in years. As a result, our inventories at the end of June were even lower than our original targets. We expect to see our sales stabilize in the second half of 2009.”

Daimler's best market was, as we said, China, which registered a 45 percent increase over May. At the opposite end, Japan performed the worst, registering a 31.3 percent drop in sales.

Daimler counts on the introduction of several models in the coming months to reverse the tide. The new E-Klasse sedan and coupe will enter the US and Chinese markets and may turn the "minus" in front of sales percentages into a "plus".

Additionally, sales will be boosted tby the introduction of the new generation S-Klasse, the launch of the E-Klasse saloon and the introduction of efficient, high-volume engine variants.