Daimler's Mercedes-Benz 2010 car sales up 15.3%

Premium auto maker Mercedes-Benz (DAIGn.DE) saw sales rise 15.3 percent year-on-year to 1,167,700 cars in 2010, thanks to growth in the U.S. and China.

Daimler's top brand sold 14 percent more cars in the U.S. and saw sales more than double in China when compared with the year earlier.

Thanks to a competitive product range and a raft of new launches, Daimler is "confident" about 2011, Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said in a statement on Friday.

Daimler sold around 97,500 of its smart branded supercompact cars, a fall of 16.6 percent, while it sold 200 ultra luxurz Maybach limousines, matching the previous year's level.