Mercedes-Benz Posts Best-Ever First Quarter with March Sales of 27,401, Up 11.2%

MONTVALE, N.J., April 1, 2014 -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported the highest first quarter sales in its history with 30,091 vehicles sold across the Mercedes-Benz, Sprinter and smart model lines, up 11% from the 27,104 units sold over the same period last year. The Mercedes-Benz brand alone hit a new benchmark for the month with sales of 27,401, an increase of 11.2%, while year-to-date volumes climbed to 72,614 units, up 5% from March 2013. Adding year-to-date sales of 4,624 for Sprinter Vans and 2,237 units at smart, MBUSA delivered a year-to-date grand total of 79,475.

"Thanks to a best-ever March, we've hit a new first quarter sales record in 2014," said Steve Cannon, president and CEO of MBUSA. "Our CLA is making strong headway in the entry luxury arena with sales of more than 20,000 units after just six months on the market. With another knockout series of products waiting in the wings, we expect even higher growth this year and beyond."

March sales for the Mercedes-Benz brand were led by the C-, E- and M-Class model lines. The E-Class took the top spot with 6,335 units, increasing 58% from the same month last year, followed by the C-Class at 5,660. The M-Class, perennial best-seller on the SUV side, rounded out the top three at 4,052, up 15.7% from March 2013. At the high end, the flagship S-Class continued to post strong gains with volumes of 2,299 for the month, up 89.1%, while sales of the CLS-Class four-door coupe rose 7.3%.

As a whole, retail volumes for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars were up 8.8% in the first quarter of 2014, boosted by sales of the 2014 CLA-Class four-door coupe with 6,129 units year-to-date. The new generation S-Class finished the period up 74.5% compared to the first quarter of 2013. Total first quarter sales for Mercedes-Benz light trucks reached 24,435.

The redesigned Sprinter lineup posted sales of 1,915 in March, an increase of 25.2% from the 1,529 units sold in March 2013, while retail volumes for the smart brand totaled 775.

Mercedes-Benz AMG high-performance models finished the month up 59.9% at 1,009 with year-to-date volumes increasing 74.4% to 2,830. The company's BlueTEC diesel models recorded March sales of 1,535 and 3,923 year-to-date, on par with the 3,945 diesel units sold through March 2013.

Separately, Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) recorded sales volumes of 9,757 vehicles in March, an increase of 12.5% compared to the 8,670 units sold in March 2013. On a year-to-date basis, MBCPO sold 28,050 vehicles, up 15.1% from the 24,370 vehicles sold during the same period last year.