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Mercedes-Benz Boss Is Confident That Brand Will Remain Ahead of Rivals in 2017

Daimler AG, the parent firm of Mercedes-Benz and Smart, has organized its yearly conference that reveals its financial results for the year that has ended.
Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars 1 photo
Photo: Daimler AG
The German conglomerate had a great year, and the best thing to happen in 2016 for Mercedes-Benz was surpassing its rivals at BMW when sales are concerned.

According to Dr. Dieter Zetsche, the CEO of the corporation that owns the three-pointed star brand, the automaker will continue to lead the segment throughout 2017. Moreover, Dr. Zetsche believes that the situation will remain in the company’s favor well into 2020.

The CEO of Daimler refrained from making any public predictions beyond that point, as many factors influence sales of automobiles on the global market. According to the automaker, each of its branches was profitable, and they all achieved increases in passenger car sales.

We are referring to the core brand, Mercedes-Benz, but also to Mercedes-AMG and smart, two divisions that have recorded excellent results last year.

Mercedes-AMG, the performance division of the three-pointed star, which has been turned into a separate brand, has managed to sell 100,000 vehicles last year. While 100,000 units is not a groundbreaking figure on a global scale, it represents a 44% increase over the result achieved in 2015, which is remarkable.

Meanwhile, smart’s sales have increased by a robust 19%, and the brand reached a record high of 144,000 units last year. China has been a key market for smart, as the marque’s results in that country have increased by 70% in 2016 when compared to the previous year.

Almost 30% of Mercedes-Benz sales were enacted by SUVs, which is a category of automobile that has achieved an increase for all companies that have entered this segment in recent years.

The German automaker’s officials have previously announced the decision to expand the portfolio in that sector, so it is evident that the three-pointed star will sell more units in the future as the new products are released.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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