Mercedes Car Group sales have fallen in the first four months of the year, as domestic dealers prepare to stem the decline in Germany.
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According to Automobilwoche, Mercedes is fighting against a dramatic downturn in domestic sales. The German car market has been suffering from the introduction of a new higher rate of VAT at the beginning of the year. Mercedes has been disproportionately hit by the decline, with sales down over 20% in Germany in April, and May not looking as though it will be any better.
Mercedes Car Group delivered 384,600 Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and smart brand passenger cars worldwide in the first four months of 2007, down from 395,800 during the same period a year ago. In April 2007, sales were 97,800 units (April 2006: 100,800 units). The Mercedes-Benz brand achieved a new sales record for the period from January through April, with deliveries increasing by two percent to 365,000 units (January-April 2006: 357,300). In April 2007, 90,600 customers around the world chose to purchase a Mercedes-Benz model (April 2006: 91,300).
Mercedes said that the Mercedes-Benz brand was particularly successful in the upper-range segment, where sales of the E-class jumped by 14% to 79,100 units during the first four months.
A total of 28,200 C-class cars were sold in April, with the new sedan car continuing to be introduced across its main markets since the end of March. C-class sedan sales were up 15% during the month.
Mercedes-Benz sales in the US were up 6% to a record figure of 76,900 units in the first four months of the year. In the Asia-Pacific region, deliveries rose to an all-time high of 43,700 units (January-April 2006: 42,400).
Smart fortwo sales were up 14% to 6,900 units.
