Toronto, Jan 03, 2007
- Best December sales for Mercedes-Benz models
- Best total year-end Mercedes-Benz sales ever
- Best total year-end Mercedes-Benz and smart combined sales ever
Mercedes-Benz Canada reported today three record-breaking accomplishments at the end of the 2006 sales period. First, Mercedes-Benz sales in December were the highest ever at 1,493 units, a 19.4% improvement against December 2005 numbers. Secondly, the year-to-date sales for Mercedes-Benz models reached a best of 14,544 units, up by a significant 24.2% from the YTD 2005 results. Thirdly, on a combined brand basis, the Mercedes-Benz, smart and Maybach sales accounted for the company?s top results ever for a total of 17,567 deliveries for 2006 resulting in an overall increase of 11.3% compared to the 2005 year-end outcome. smart delivered 3,023 fortwos accounting for another strong finish for the year.
The December report shows a total of 1,493 Mercedes-Benz units were registered for the month, representing an increase of 243 units or 19.4% compared to December 2005. A total of 72 smart fortwos were sold the month. On a combined brand basis, Mercedes-Benz and smart reported December sales of 1,565 units.
Compelling B-Class, C-Class, and S-Class sales contributed to December?s success. Total Mercedes-Benz passenger car sales were up by 328 units or 39.5% for the month and ahead by 1,922 units or 21.8% on a year-to-date basis, bringing the total to 10,732 units for the year.
On the luxury light truck side, the M-Class, R-Class and GL-Class performed extremely well achieving combined sales total of 3,812 units, accounting for 912 additional light truck sales or a 31.4% increase against 2005 year-end sales.
On the pre-owned side, Mercedes-Benz Canada also reported record sales for the year with gains well in excess of 20%.
In retrospect, 2006 was a very exciting year for Mercedes-Benz Canada. The launch of the new full-size SUV GL-Class was very well received and it subsequently garnered several awards including AJAC?s Best SUV over $60,000 and Motor Trend?s 2007 SUV of the Year. The S-Class 4MATIC? was introduced and it bolstered S-Class sales to close to 1,200 units for the year, eclipsing all of the competition in its class.
The stunning CL-Class coupe was launched in the fall to rave reviews. The SL-Class? new engine and mid-lifecycle facelift were applauded while the next generation E-Class was re-launched after undergoing attractive modifications, including no-charge 4MATIC? all-wheel drive and sport package options making it the most irresistible purchase in its category.
The cleanest diesel technology found in the E320 BLUETEC was praised as a the industry story of the year and the highly performing ML320 CDI and R320 CDI diesel models positioned Mercedes-Benz? innovative and socially responsible leading edge yet again.
The launch of the new AMG 6.3litre engine offered in most of the high-end line up fully confirmed Mercedes-Benz? leadership of the performance front.
In 2006, we also saw outstanding sales increases in models like the B-Class, C-Class, S-Class, M-Class, R-Class and GL-Class. The C-Class year-end numbers outperformed its 2005 performance by 424 units while the B-Class and R-Class showed gains of more than 200%. The SLK and CLS-Class also continued to do exceptionally well in their respective categories.
The smart fortwo appeared in several feature films this year such as the Pink Panther, The Da Vinci Code, A Good Year and approximately 200 smart customers participated in the August cross-Canada smart relay from Goose Bay Labrador to Victoria, BC to raise funds for bone marrow research
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Mercedes-Benz Canada continued the implementation of its nationwide dealer network development program with a strong focus on customer satisfaction. The goal is to ensure that dealer facilities are built to best serve customers? requirements, and that they provide the best possible automotive experience in all areas.
Several new outstanding facilities were completed in 2006, namely Victoria Star Motors in Kitchener, both David Morris Fine Cars and Weber Motors in Edmonton, Sudbury Fine Cars in Sudbury and Automobiles Vieilles Forges in Trois-Rivi?res.
President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada, Marcus Breitschwerdt, remarked: "We were braced for a challenging 2006 but as our record-breaking results attest, a broad and solid product portfolio, a strong and dedicated dealer network and 900 devoted and passionate Mercedes-Benz employees nevertheless prevailed. I am extremely pleased to confirm that our new and more recent model introductions like the B-Class, R-Class and GL-Class have certainly made some significant inroads in the marketplace and have allowed us to reach many new consumers. New technology like BLUETEC and the next generation CDI diesel models are innovation milestones for Mercedes-Benz and precursors to what the future holds in terms of leading edge mobility. The smart fortwo and the Maybach brands continued to perform soundly, more than meeting our expectations.? He added, ?As we begin 2007, we are ready and so is our dealer network to yet again pursue this successful path but we are at the same time focusing on a crucial on-going commitment: customer satisfaction.?
