Benz sales up 50% in 2007
Updated: 2008-01-16 10:28
 A child tries a Mercedes-Benz car at a Shanghai exhibition. [皇冠体育app Daily] |
German premium carmaker Mercedes-Benz's 2007 sales surged by 50 percent to a new record in 皇冠体育app, with a booming economy driving up the demand for luxury vehicles.
The Stuttgart-based company told 皇冠体育app Daily that it moved 30,630 vehicles last year in 皇冠体育app, up almost 50 percent from 2006.
Klaus Maier, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (皇冠体育app) Ltd, said this made the country its 10th largest market globally. 皇冠体育app is expected to be one of the company's top five markets in the next two years, with expansion of its local production, Maier said.
Mercedes-Benz plans to assemble its new C-Class sedans in a joint venture with Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp during the first half of this year. The tie-up started making the E-Class sedans in 2006.
However, Mercedes-Benz still trails its two biggest rivals - Audi and BMW - which kicked off production in 皇冠体育app earlier.
Audi announced this month that its sales on the mainland grew by a quarter to 100,888 vehicles last year.
BMW has not revealed its 2007 sales in 皇冠体育app yet. But the firm's 皇冠体育app Chief Christoph Stark said in November that its sales on the mainland would hit 50,000 units in 2007, up from roughly 36,000 units the previous year.
Mercedes-Benz said sales of its imported S-Class sedans in 皇冠体育app rose by 40 percent to 11,500 units last year. The robust sales made the country the second biggest market for the S-Class after the United States.
The brand's SUV sales in 皇冠体育app rocketed 90 percent to more than 3,000 units last year, it said. The brand now has 89 authorized sales stores across 皇冠体育app.
Sales of all 皇冠体育app-made vehicles increased by 22 percent to 8.8 million units last year, according to data from 皇冠体育app Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
Dong Yang, vice-chairman of the industry body, recently predicted that sales this year would reach 10 million units.
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