Mercedes-Benz H1 sales up 52% y/y in China

Shanghai, July 14 (Gasgoo.com) German automaker Daimler AG recently said that sales of its Mercedes-Benz brand grew 52% year on year (y/y) in the first half of 2008 in the Chinese market driven by an expanding wealthy customer base. From January to June, Mercedes-Benz sold in China a total of 18,000 luxury cars, including locally made and imported ones, the company said last Friday, as cited by auto.sina.com.

Sales of the imported S-Class vehicles were most brisk, with 6,800 units sold during the period, and China has become the largest Asian market for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Mercedes-Benz E-class sedans, made by its Chinese venture, had its sales up 26% y/y during the period, while sales of the elegant Mercedes-Benz CLK sports / comfort cars rose by 150% y/y. The company has not released the sales figures for its China-built C-Class, imported SUVs, or sports cars.

The all-new Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedans locally made in China have been in short supply over the past few months. The SLK Passion 08 limited edition have been well-received by Chinese buyers since its launch in early May. The R-class crossover has found its second largest global market in China after the U.S. The R300 launched in early June has enriched Mercedes-Benz's R-Class lineup in China.

Mercedes-Benz has launched at least five new models in China in the first half to meet the growing demands in the world's second-largest auto market. Mercedes-Benz has seen steady sales growth in the Chinese market in recent years. In 2007, Mercedes-Benz sold 30,630 vehicles in China, an increase of 50% from the previous year.

Although Mercedes-Benz's sales grew rapidly, the car-maker still lags behind the world's biggest luxury auto-maker BMW, which sold 30,325 BMW and Mini cars in China from January to June, a growth of 28% from one year earlier.