Mercedes-Benz Feb sales rise 8.9% to 78,700 cars

German carmaker Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz Cars division said Thursday global sales were up 8.9% on year in February, with the core Mercedes-Benz brand posting a 13% rise.

Global sales in the Mercedes-Benz Cars division reached 78,700 cars last month, while the core brand recorded sales of 72,100 vehicles.

"This sales result is the basis for strong sales in the first quarter and allows us to expand our market position for the full year," Mercedes-Benz's sales chief, Joachim Schmidt, said in a statement published on the company's Web site.

In the first two months of 2010, the Mercedes-Benz division and the core brand saw sales come in at 151,200 and 139,100 cars, up 13% and 18%, respectively.

The company said it expects the new-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class models and rising demand in major markets such as China and the U.S. to foster growth in coming months. In March, Mercedes-Benz will launch the revamped E-Class convertible and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

Sales at the Smart minicar brand, however, slumped 24% last month to 6,600 cars and were down 28% in the first two months of the year at 12,100 cars.