Mercedes-Benz Achieves New January Sales Record In 2007

PADDOCK | OZ - - Mercedes-Benz today reported its most successful January on record with the sale of 1,280 new passenger cars and SUV's last month, eclipsing its previous best January result by almost 8% percent.

According to industry source VFACTS, sales of new Mercedes-Benz passenger cars in January increased by 21.3% over 2006 figures, with SUV sales growing by more than six percent for the same period .Sales of the successful C-Class sedan and coupé in January were 32% higher than for the same period last year (+98 units), despite the Medium >$60,000 segment falling by more than two percent. Driven by the popularity of the recently-announced Super Sport Edition of the C 180 Kompressor sedan, sales of the ever-popular C-Class are not expected to slow up despite the premiere of the all-new model, to be released later this year.

Sales of the award-winning E-Class grew by almost 12 percent last month compared to January 2006 (+20 units). Outperforming its segment growth by more than six percent, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class starts 2007 as the leader of its segment in Australia, achieving 37.6% market share. Demand for the new-generation E-Class has grown since its Australian release last September, customer popularity extending from the more powerful and efficient E 200 Kompressor to the range-topping E 63 AMG.

Compared to January 2006, sales of the stunning CLS-Class four-door coupe rose 46.2%. Achieving a market share of 11.3%, the exclusive CLS has continually won buyers with its brilliant blend of coupé design with four-door practicality.

The Upper Large >$100,000 segment was again dominated by the benchmark-setting S-Class, achieving not only 41.7% market share for this segment but also sales growth of 337.5%. The perpetual luxury car leader, the S-Class beat its nearest rival by almost 18%.

The growth of this segment in January was largely driven by the flagship saloon of the Mercedes-Benz range. Almost half of the cars sold in this segment last year proudly wore the three-pointed star, with the trend set to continue this year.

Signalling Summer is far from over, sales of the sought-after SLK Roadster last month grew almost 11% over January 2006.

The strong sales result for January follows on from a very strong 2006 for the German auto maker. New model releases set for 2007 are expected to push annual sales for the famous three-pointed star to record levels. The first of the exciting new product offerings by the world's most experienced car maker commences with the stunning CL-Class Coupé, expected in Australia next month.