Mercedes records best sales in 88-year history 

Mercedes-Benz saw last month’s sales as the best in the company’s 88-year history, reaching 162,746 units and a third quarter rise of 11.9 percent. The all-time record was due to a 14 percent increase in monthly sales year-over-year, thanks to rising demand for the company’s smaller, lower-margin models and the latest generation of the S-Class flagship.

Third-quarter sales were also the best ever (for the July to September period), reaching 412,018 units or an increase of almost 12 percent. For the first nine months, the delivery tally stands at 1,195,156 units, up 12.5 percent from 2013.

“We have never sold as many Mercedes-Benz vehicles as we did in September and at the same time achieved the strongest quarter in the company’s history. We will now start into the last quarter with double-digit growth,” said Ola Källenius, brand’s marketing and sales boss.

The growth drivers were the compact cars and the S-Class. With the new S 500 plug-in-hybrid, available since the end of last month, the automaker is offering customers an ultra-modern hybrid drive concept with the innovations and superior features of the S-Class. Until 2017, it will introduce nine more plug-in-hybrid models on the market, which will stimulate further sales.

European sales in September reached a new record high of 77,548 units, up 9.1 percent. The NAFTA region proved equally successful, with Mercedes delivering 27,315 units in the USA last month, an increase of 10.6 percent that secured first place in the luxury segment.

September alone brought a 24 percent rise in sales in China, with the German automaker delivering 203,485 cars there in the first nine months, which is a jump of 30.5 percent from the same period of 2013.

MIKE OCHONMA