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Mercedes-Benz in 2017: Number 1 In The Premium Segment

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Mercedes-Benz achieved its most successful year of all time in 2017, increasing its unit sales by 9.9% to 2,289,344 vehicles. The car division’s growth last year was driven in particular by the new E-Class Sedan and Estate and the SUVs. As a result of its success in all three core regions – Europe, Asia-Pacific and NAFTA – Mercedes-Benz was the best-selling premium brand in the automobile industry for the second consecutive year. No other German automobile brand in the premium segment posted strong growth as the Stuttgart-based company in 2017.

Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: “Last year, Mercedes-Benz Cars delivered more than 2.4 million Mercedes-Benz and smart to customers all over the world. We thus surpassed our prior-year unit sales for the seventh time in succession. With Mercedes-Benz, our core brand, we were the best-selling premium brand once again in 2017. We can be proud of that achievement – and we will build on it. Success in our core business provides the basis for us to actively shape the mobility of the future. In 2018, we will systematically continue along this path with CASE.”

Mercedes-Benz defines the four future topics for the automotive industry with its corporate strategy CASE: Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Services and Electric. The optimal combination of these four areas will be a crucial success factor for offering customers the most convincing overall package. Investments in these four fields are enabled by the success in the strong core business. Safety, quality, modern design and future-oriented innovations are the key factors that make Mercedes-Benz more successful today than ever before.

Mercedes-Benz completed its strongest-selling year with the best fourth quarter in its history (572,044 units, +4.8%). A new record was achieved also in December (193,534 units, +1.7%).

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“The 58th consecutive record month to close the year underscores our customers’ trust in the first-class products from Mercedes-Benz. In 2017, we delivered approximately 2.3 million new vehicles with the three-pointed star, allowing us to further extend our lead in the premium segment by a significant margin,” states Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales. “Also in the new year, we will have the right car available for every customer. Overall, we will launch more than a dozen new models in 2018.”

All-time best unit sales in a year were achieved in the three core regions

Demand for Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Europe increased to a new high last year, with 955,301 cars delivered to customers (+6.4%). In 2017, the Asia-Pacific region posted the strongest growth. 875,250 Mercedes-Benz were delivered to customers in 2017, more than ever before in one year (+19.2%). NAFTA region achieved all-time high unit sales with more than 400,000 cars sold.

More than 620,000 compact cars sold in one year once again

In 2017, more than a quarter of all Mercedes-Benz automobiles sold were compact cars. In the year before the major A-Class model change, more than 620,000 customers worldwide took delivery of their new A- or B-Class, CLA, CLA Shooting Brake or GLA. Their popularity also is demonstrated by the total of 5,555,555 compact cars already sold since the A-Class first established the Mercedes-Benz compact segment in 1997.

Mercedes-Benz will continue this success with the new generation of compact cars, production of which will start in five plants on three continents in 2018.

C-Class continues as bestseller for Mercedes-Benz

The C-Class Sedan and Estate were the volume models for Mercedes-Benz with more than 415,000 units of these two models sold last year.

New E-Class breaks all records in its first full year of sales

More than 350,000 units of the E-Class Sedan and Estate were delivered to customers between January and December. This means that an increase of 40.0% was achieved in the first full sales year of the new generation. Never before were more E-Class cars sold in one year than in 2017.

Successful start of sales of the new S-Class Sedan

The new S-Class Sedan was launched in mid-2017, and in the fourth quarter of last year, the sales of this model grew by double digits. About 70,000 units of the S-Class Sedan were sold in the year of the model change. The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Sedan, which stands for ultimate exclusivity and quality, is very successful.

14% growth in the strongest segment: customers around the globe appealed by the SUVs

With more than 805,000 units sold and growth of 14.0%, the SUVs made a major contribution to the sales success of Mercedes-Benz last year. Meanwhile, more than a third of Mercedes-Benz cars sold are in this segment. The strongest-selling SUVs in 2017 were the GLC and the GLA. The GLC Coupé also made a significant contribution to the SUVs’ success in its first full year of sales.

Significant growth in demand for the dream cars compared with the previous year

Mercedes-Benz has twelve dream cars in its portfolio that are so popular with customers that in 2017 their prior-year sales were surpassed by 22.4%. Nearly 170,000 new coupés, roadsters and cabriolets from Mercedes-Benz went onto the roads in 2017. A particularly large number of customers decided in favour of the C-Class Cabriolet and the C-Class Coupé. The new CLS Coupé is the pioneer of the new design language and will further boost the success of the Mercedes-Benz dream-car family in 2018.

AMG sold more than 130,000 cars in just one year

In the year of AMG’s 50th anniversary, the performance and sports-car brand of Mercedes-Benz achieved six-digit unit sales for the first time in its history. Last year, a total of 131,970 AMG models were delivered to customers, equivalent to growth of 33.0%. A particular highlight in 2017 was the market launch of the Mercedes-AMG GT R, with which AMG has further expanded its product portfolio at the top end of the range.

The strong core business is the foundation for the mobility of the future

Thanks to its strong core business, Mercedes-Benz can invest systematically in the mobility of the future. In the medium term, the goal is to facilitate sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility. In order to steadily reduce emissions, Mercedes-Benz already offers its customers an attractive range of future-oriented engines. The new generations of diesel and gasoline engines will be rolled out in the existing model portfolio in 2018. In parallel, the car division is going ahead with drivetrain electrification by presenting the series model of the EQC to the public. In 2019, the first purely electric SUV from the EQ product and technology brand will be launched. In addition, Daimler AG is establishing a network for battery production with five factories on three continents.

Another focus is on the development of the ecosystem for electric mobility, including not only the car, but also a full portfolio of related products and services. They range from intelligent services to energy storage for private and commercial customers and environmentally friendly recycling.

Premium brand experience in sales and service: online and offline

“In the year 2018, Mercedes-Benz Cars continues to place top priority on ‘Best Customer Experience’. We want to delight our customers with innovative ways of addressing our customers. Specifically, this means the systematic digitization and personalization of all customer contacts in sales and after-sales,” states Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales.

Mercedes-Benz offers a fascinating customer experience both online and offline using various formats to address its customers in their various living environments. The Mercedes me digital brand allows customers to contact Mercedes-Benz anywhere and at any time – via app, website or directly from the car. All existing and future mobility services products connected with the car or with car2go and mytaxi are being brought together on this online platform. This personalized access is already used by over a million customers in 36 markets and more will follow in 2018.

For Mercedes-Benz, one thing is clear: The customers and their individual needs are at the focus during the entire customer journey. Every contact with Mercedes-Benz should be a special experience for them – a Mercedes moment – whether in the physical or the digital world.

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