Mercedes deliveries advance behind S class, Smart line

Mercedes sales in China jumped nearly 28 percent year on year to 42,224 vehicles in October with the company reporting strong demand for the S-Class sedan and Smart city cars.

The German luxury brand said S-Class deliveries in China were "particularly high" last month, although it did not disclose detailed sales results.

The company added that deliveries of the Smart fortwo and forfour doubled in October.

Mercedes also received a boost from sales of the redesigned E-Class sedan, which was introduced earlier this year. The Chinese-built E-Class is scheduled to reach full production in the fourth quarter.

In the first ten months, Mercedes' China sales rose 29 percent to 387,015 vehicles -- topping its volume for all of 2015.

Mercedes has been on a tear since 2013, when it shook up its China management and consolidated its distribution network in the country. This year, the automaker has virtually caught up to rival BMW, China's No. 2 luxury brand.

Audi, the market leader, plans to expand its distribution network by selling vehicles through Volkswagen's partnership with SAIC Motor Corp.