Increasing disposable incomes and aspirations in booming markets like India and China have fueled the ever increasing need for all things premium. That, along with a comparatively stable global economy has led to Mercedes-Benz selling more cars than ever before in 2014. The star brand delivered 1,650,010 vehicles to customers (+12.9%) and achieved the fourth record year in a row. Record sales were posted in every month of the year 2014 – including in December with 163,171 units sold (+17.2%). The past year ended for the Stuttgart based company with the strongest sales month and the best quarter (454,854 units) in the company’s history.
Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: “Mercedes-Benz is on a course of success. The best sales in our company’s history show that our product offensive is bearing fruit. Our new models are extremely popular among our customers. The success is due in particular to our compact cars, the new C-Class and the S-Class. We have managed to grow unit sales in all core markets. In 2015, we will continue our product offensive in the SUV segment. We expect additional sales momentum by the SUVs, the full availability of the new C-Class, the compact cars and the two smart models.”
In the overall European market, unit sales increased by 9.4% in 2014 and are thus significantly above the general market growth. In the toughly competitive German market, Mercedes-Benz continued to defend its market leadership among the premium manufacturers in 2014. Sales in Germany jumped by 13.6% in December. In the United Kingdom, the second largest European market of the company, 2014 was another record year for unit sales, with a total of 123,480 vehicle deliveries to customers (+14.6%). The company also posted record high sales in Portugal (+45.7%), Switzerland (+15.8%) and Belgium (+8.0%). Unit sales in Spain grew by more than 30%.
In the year 2014, unit sales in the NAFTA Region totaled 373,291 vehicles (+5.8%), of which 330,391 were in the USA alone (+5.7%). Thus, the USA has maintained its position as the largest sales market of Mercedes-Benz. New records were posted in the USA, Canada and Mexico in the past year. In Canada, Mercedes-Benz holds the market leadership among the premium manufacturers.
For the first time, China outpaced Germany as the second largest market in 2014. With 281,588 vehicles sold, sales in China have never been so high (+29.1%). New sales records were posted in 2014 in Japan and Australia, where Mercedes-Benz is market leader among the premium manufacturers. Total sales in the Asia-Pacific region grew by 25.7% to 491,321 units.
The compact car segment, which was extended by the GLA in March, was particularly successful in 2014. Unit sales grew by 24.7% to 463,152 vehicles of the A-, B-, CLA- and GLA-Class. The C-Class Sedan maintained its position as the top-volume model of Mercedes-Benz again in 2014. The new sedan is the first vehicle to be produced on four continents. The annual sales of the new sedan and the new estate, which came on the market in March and September 2014, rose by 4.4% to 316,792 units in the past year. Once again, the S-Class was the best-selling luxury sedan in the world in 2014. In the past year, unit sales of the S-Class Sedan skyrocketed by 82.2% to 103,737 vehicles sold. The new Mercedes-Maybach S 600 will celebrate its market launch in 2015. SUV sales in 2014 reached a new record of 341,788 vehicles (+5.3%). Record high sales were posted by the GLK-Class (+7.7%), the M-Class (+8.7%) and the G-Class (+10.4%).
The Mercedes-Benz dream cars include all roadsters, cabriolets and coupés with the star. In 2014, a total of 141,998 customers fulfilled their wish for a dream car. With the S-Class Coupé and the CLS facelift launched in September, the dream car successes are to be continued in 2015. Mercedes-AMG with offensive product and growth strategy. The sports car and performance brand Mercedes-AMG posted a record year in 2014 with sales of 47.632 vehicles. The entry into the compact class and the expansion of the model offering have brought new customer groups and successes for Mercedes-AMG in established and new markets.