Daimler AG Reports a 5.5 Percent Increase for Mercedes-Benz and smart Vehicles in the U.S. for December 2010

NEW YORK Jan. 4, 2011; Daimler AG today reported U.S. sales of 22,039 Mercedes-Benz and smart vehicles, an improvement of 5.5 Percent compared to December 2009. All sales figures in this release are on an unadjusted basis unless otherwise noted.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) reported December sales of 21,469 vehicles, its highest monthly volume of the year. 20,090 passenger cars, light truck vehicles and 1,379 Sprinter vans are included in this total. This brings the company's sales total for 2010 to 225,007, an increase of 18% over 2009.

Ernst Lieb, president and CEO of MBUSA said: "Despite the challenges of a slow recovery, we see good indicators in terms of our sales volume throughout the model range. This is certainly due in large part to the customer-directed efforts we've undertaken here at MBUSA over the past few years and the extraordinary commitment of our retail network to provide an unmatched ownership experience. As virtually all third-party indicators show, customers are confident about the Mercedes-Benz brand and we think that will translate to even stronger momentum going forward."

The 9th generation E-Class was the volume leader for both the month and year, with December sales of 5,638, bringing its annual volume to 60,922 ,; a 41.4 % increase over its volume in 2009. The C-Class ,; the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers ,; followed with monthly sales of 4,924 and a yearly total of 58,785, a 12.1 % increase over last. Rounding out the top three volume lines was the popular M-Class SUV which posted monthly sales of 3,783 bringing its annual volume to 29,698, a 15.1 % increase over last year.

Sales at the high end continued strong for 2010 with the commanding G-Class up 38.8 % for the year and the flagship S-Class sedan up 21.5 %. Â The company sold 48 of its top-of-the-line supercar - the SLS AMG ,; in December, bringing its annual total to 499.

smart USA recorded 570 sales in December 2010, a month-over-month sales increase of 170 percent from November 2010. Year-to-date sales total 5,927 units.

The smart fortwo electric drive is beginning to arrive in the U.S. marketplace, and, in December, smart USA announced a partnership with Hertz to bring smart fortwo electric drive vehicles to the Connect by Hertz car sharing program.

Detailed vehicle sales information for MBUSA will be announced in a separate press release issued by Mercedes-Benz USA.

About Daimler

Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides its customers with a full range of automotive financial services including financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management.

The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As an automotive pioneer, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility. The Group applies innovative and green technologies to produce safe and superior vehicles which fascinate and delight its customers. With the development of alternative drive systems, Daimler is the only vehicle producer investing in hybrid drive, electric motors and fuel-cell systems, with the goal of achieving emission-free mobility in the long term. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment.

Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world's most valuable automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, the brands smart, Maybach, Freightliner, Western Star, Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2009, the Group sold 1.6 million vehicles and employed a workforce of more than 256,000 people; revenue totaled euro 78.9 billion and EBIT amounted minus euro 1.5 billion.