Mercedes-Benz January-February China, Hong Kong sales rise 52%

BEIJING (MarketWatch) -- Mercedes-Benz Group of DaimlerChrysler AG (DCX :

daimlerchrysler ag sold 4,800 vehicles in mainland China and Hong Kong in the first two months this year, up 52% from the same period last year, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

"Mercedes-Benz China will continue to introduce new products to meet the growing demands of the Chinese market," said Klaus Maier, president and chief executive of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd. in the statement.

The company's sales in China and Hong Kong were driven by strong sales of its S-Class cars, which reached 2,230 units in the January-February period, 2.1 times the number sold in the same period last year.

China and Hong Kong combined continue to be the second-largest market for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class worldwide, the statement said, citing Claus Weidner, general manager of the sales and marketing department of Mercedes-Benz (China).

The U.S. is the largest S-Class market for the company in terms of sales, a public relations officer said Wednesday.