Mercedes posts record sales and breaks the 100k mark for the first time in the UK

• Mercedes-Benz UK exceeds 100,000 new car registrations in a year for the first time
• 7,813 new cars registered in November 2013 – a best-ever month
• AMG registrations rise 47 per cent to 2,947 year to date (YTD)
• Van registrations increase 17.7 per cent YTD, to 26,730 units
• Actros again leads the truck division – up 42 per cent YTD

Mercedes-Benz UK’s record registration year continued in November 2013, with the company reporting its best-ever results, according to figures released today by SMMT.  The company is still the fastest-growing premium brand in the UK car market, with registrations growing 19 per cent over 2012’s previous records.

Passenger car registrations – at 7,813 for the month – were the best November result ever-seen, and contributed to a monthly market share of 4.9 per cent.  For the first time in its UK history, the company has achieved more than 100,000 new car registrations in a year – the YTD figure shows that 102,044 new cars have taken to Britain’s roads in 2013.  The 100,000th customer was Jamie Leigh Arndell, who collected her first Mercedes-Benz, a white A 180 CDI Sport, from the company’s retailer in Bristol, on Friday 29 November.  She joins the 16,397 drivers who have taken delivery of an A-Class so far this year.

Elsewhere, the new generation E-Class range is proving particularly popular, with all four body styles showing significant growth YTD.  E-Class Coupé is up nine per cent to 4,470 cars; E-Class Cabriolet up six per cent to 4,112; E-Class Estate shows an eight per cent rise to 4,001; whilst the E-Class Saloon is up to 14,505 new cars – an increase of 36 per cent YTD.

Deliveries of the new S-Class luxury saloon in November were almost double its nearest rival, and registrations of the new range and the run-out year of the old model are at 1,372 new cars, keeping S-Class as the most successful luxury saloon in the UK.

High performances were also reported across the company’s AMG range, with 2,947 cars registered so far in 2013 – a growth of 47 per cent.  The C 63 AMG remains the UK’s most popular choice, with 1,522 registered this year, and more than 320 A 45 AMGs have taken to the UK’s roads in 2013.

Commercial vehicles

A strong month saw van registrations rise 18.5 per cent in November 2013, with Vito up 29.2 per cent to 513 units.  Sprinter, with 18,488 registered YTD, reported an increase of 14.4 per cent so far this year.  Combined results mean that the Vans division is looking set to have a record-breaking performance in 2013 once the year-end results are published in a month.

In Trucks, deliveries of the new Antos and Arocs ranges began, but it was tractor units where the biggest success was shown.  Axor registrations were up 34.8 per cent in November, to 248 units, whilst Actros more than doubled the same month last year, with 459 units registered.  So far this year, 2,713 Actros have been registered – up 42 per cent on 2012.

Commenting on the results, Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO Mercedes-Benz UK, commented:  “November 2013 has entered Mercedes-Benz UK’s history books as a real milestone.  Breaking through the 100,000 new car sales figure is a landmark achievement, helped by a strong model range – in fact we offer the widest choice of vehicles in the entire industry.  It’s fantastic to see that British customers are voting with their purchase and lease choices in record numbers.

“Our success isn’t confined to one part of our range though – as well as new compact cars like the A-Class and CLA, the extensive revisions we made to E-Class earlier this year have shown strong growth across all four body styles.  The car has been tailored to specifically meet UK demands and market conditions, and our engine and equipment packages are key in contributing to these numbers.”

Marcus Breitschwerdt continued:  “We’re also showing class-leading results in luxury and high-powered motoring, too.  We’ve been in run-out of the previous S-Class for most of the year, but still lead the segment despite sales of the new model only beginning recently.  And it’s great to see AMG sales continuing to accelerate hard.  Record after record is being broken.

“Our commercial vehicles division is recovering strongly too, with our vans on the verge of a significant best-ever record performance this year.  Market conditions have influenced the tractor segment, but as the first manufacturer to bring Euro 6 trucks to the UK, we’re seeing great results in both Euro 5 and Euro 6 products.”

Marcus Breitschwerdt concluded: “There’s only one month to go in 2013, and I’m confident that Mercedes-Benz UK will end the year in style.  Our significant, consistent record-breaking performance is due to a lot of factors – great products sold and serviced by a great team across our networks help of course.  But we’d be nowhere without our customers, who have a greater choice of cars, vans and trucks than ever before.  On behalf of the whole company my sincere thanks go to everyone who has chosen to join or remain in the Mercedes-Benz family this year.”

New ECO A-Class and B-Class CDi SE variants give lower CO2 and higher MPG

With the introduction of all-new ECO models, the A 180 CDI ECO SE and B 180 CDI ECO SE, Mercedes-Benz UK now offers even better economy, with CO2 emissions from just 92 g/km.

The ECO SE vehicles, available from January 2014 production, both feature weight-saving measures, powertrain refinements, improved fuel consumption with no impact on performance, and improved aerodynamics, with the A 180 CDI ECO SE offering a class-leading coefficient drag of 0.26.

These practical changes include the use of an aerodynamic grille element, coupled with underbody panelling and lowered suspension (-10 mm front and 15 mm rear for A-Class, and 20 mm at the front and 15 mm at the rear for B-Class).

Both vehicles feature manual transmissions with longer ratios in the higher gears, an improved energy recuperation system and make use of a lightweight fuel tank to save on weight.

Replacing the current A 180 CDI SE and B 180 CDI SE manual variants, CO2 emissions on the A 180 CDI ECO SE have been reduced by six per cent to 92 g/km, with combined fuel consumption increased to 78.5 mpg, compared with 74.3 mpg on the outgoing model. B 180 CDI ECO SE emissions have also reduced to 98 g/km CO2, a reduction of nine per cent, with the combined mpg increasing by eight per cent to 74.3 mpg. Despite the focus on economy, for both models the power, torque, top speed and 0-60 mph acceleration, remains unchanged.

Both vehicles are free from road tax and the Benefit In Kind company car tax band for the A-Class is just 13 per cent, with qualification for 100 per cent capital allowance until 2015.

In addition to the new ECO SE models, the advanced four-wheel drive system first seen on the CLA 250 4MATIC, comes also comes to the A- and B-Class from January 2014.

4MATIC all-wheel drive ensures optimum traction and driving dynamics in all road conditions, with torque ideally distributed between front and rear axles by an electro-hydraulically controlled multi-disc clutch with variable torque distribution, which allows as much as 50 per cent of power to be sent to the rear wheels.

The A 250 4MATIC is available in both AMG Sport and Engineered by AMG trim, with the B 220 4MATIC exclusively in Sport trim.

The A 180 CDI ECO SE is priced from £21,965 on the road, with the B 180 CDI ECO SE from £22,950 OTR. The A 250 4MATIC is available from £28,985 OTR for the AMG Sport trim and £30,905 for the Engineered by AMG trim, whilst the B 220 4MATIC stars at £28,135 OTR.

Mercedes-Benz gained ground against larger premium-car competitors BMW and Audi last month

Mercedes-Benz gained ground against larger premium-car competitors BMW and Audi last month as the introduction of the CLA coupe helped demand almost double for the company's compact models.

Sales by the Mercedes brand rose 16 percent from a year earlier in September to 143,000 cars and SUVs. That beat an 8 percent jump at BMW brand and a 10 percent gain at Audi.

BMW, Audi and Mercedes are all targeting record global deliveries in 2013, seeking to attract buyers with new vehicles such as the CLA, the BMW 4-series coupe and the sedan version of Audi's A3 compact. Audi and Mercedes are competing to overtake BMW as the world's biggest premium-car seller by the end of the decade.

"Mercedes is getting some tailwinds from its model cycle," said Frank Biller, a Stuttgart-based analyst at LBBW. "The young products are pushing sales."

Daimler's Mercedes probably also improved profit margins in the third quarter, reducing the gap with competitors earnings, he said.

Nine-month sales by Mercedes jumped 10 percent to 1.06 million cars and SUVs.

BMW brand's deliveries in September totaled 158,000, pushing the nine-month figure up 9 percent to 1.21 million. Audi reported an 8 percent nine-month increase to 1.18 million. Mercedes's sales in the period amounted to 88 percent of BMW's, narrowing the gap from 87 percent a year earlier. Audi's sales difference with BMW widened to 98 percent from 99 percent.

The companies are focusing expansion in the growing auto markets of China, the United States and South America to make up for a sixth straight drop in annual industry wide sales in Europe.

Nine-month Chinese deliveries rose 21 percent at Audi and 20 percent at BMW, while increasing 8 percent at Mercedes, which is revamping its sales network in the market.

Compact demand

Global growth at Mercedes was propelled by a 91 percent sales surge of compact models in September as the company added the four-door CLA to new versions of the A- and B-class models, Daimler said in a statement last week. Mercedes is expanding in the segment with the small GLA SUV due in the showrooms early next year. The carmaker also revamped the up-market E-class sedan in April.

Deliveries of BMW's 3-series car lineup increased 28 percent in the first nine months of the year, the company said today. A Gran Turismo version of the 3 series went on sale in June. The company is also introducing diesel-powered models of the car in the U.S., where it began selling an all-wheel-drive version in 2012. Demand in China was boosted by a stretched 3 series that entered showrooms in June 2012. The carmaker also began sales of the 4 series, which shares underpinnings with the 3 series, in September.

BMW plans a new generation of the X5 SUV, built at BMW's plant Spartanburg, South Carolina, which is scheduled to enter dealerships in November.

"We have been able to keep our European sales on a similar level year-on-year, and once again reported major gains in the U.S. and Asia," Ian Robertson, BMW's head of sales and marketing, said in today's statement. "We are therefore well on our way to another increase in deliveries for the full year 2013 and a new sales record."

A3 Sedan

Audi is counting on further gains after the A3 sedan reached the European market in September. The VW unit will begin selling the model in China in the second quarter of 2014. Audi predicts that the car will be the most popular variant of the A3 line, which also includes hatchback and convertible models.

"The two main drivers of why the German luxury carmakers are so successful are internationalization and the broadening of the model lines," said Marc-Rene Tonn, a Hamburg-based analyst with Warburg Research.

The three carmakers are all expanding production in China, the world's biggest automotive market, and taking steps to begin vehicle assembly in Brazil to tap into the growing number of affluent consumers in South America's biggest economy. Mercedes will begin assembling the mid-sized C class and the GLA at a new plant in Iracemapolis, Brazil, in 2016. The move will follow BMW's production start next year in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina at a plant with capacity to build least 30,000 vehicles annually. Audi has said it will build the A3 sedan and Q3 SUV in the country.

"I expect BMW to remain the No. 1 luxury carmaker for another couple of years," said Frank Schwope, a Hanover, Germany-based analyst with NordLB. "They already have an advantage and it's very likely that they will retain the lead, even if the gap to Audi and Mercedes might decrease."

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