Mercedes-Benz Canada reports its best month on record and strong first quarter results

TORONTO, April 2, 2013 /CNW/ - Mercedes-Benz Canada and its national dealer network reported today that the company has delivered 3,820 Mercedes-Benz and smart units in March. This represents an increase of 12.3% and the best month ever for the group. At the conclusion of the first quarter of 2013, a grand total of 7,810 units have been sold through the Mercedes-Benz Canadian retail network.

Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and luxury light trucks recorded the best month ever in the company's history with a total of 3,412 units retailed. Overall, passenger car sales totaled 1,903 vehicles. This is ahead 9.2% for the month, and was fueled by impressive B-Class, C-Class, E-Class and SL-Class sales.

On the luxury light trucks side, a total of 1,509 units were sold. This represents an increase of 13.4% compared to March 2012, and can be attributed to strong performance across the entire range and particularly notable GLK-Class and GL-Class sales. In fact, vigorous demand for the highly anticipated new GLK 250 BlueTEC helped boost GLK-Class deliveries by 45.1% in March.

The diesel take rate for luxury light trucks was 64.7% for the month, while permanent all-wheel drive 4MATIC™ units accounted for 80.4% of overall passenger car and light truck sales in March (excluding smart).

smart reported a total of 111 vehicles sold in March, which equates to a 42.3% increase when compared to the same time period last year.

A total of 297 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters were delivered throughout the month. These exceptional results represent an 18.3% increase for the month, and helped propel year-to-date growth to 23.8%.

The Mercedes-Benz Pre-Owned division reported 1,269 vehicles sold. A total of 2,853 Mercedes-Benz Pre-Owned units have been delivered so far in 2013.

"It was a busy first quarter for us as we celebrated many exciting Canadian premieres throughout the auto show season including the new, extremely fuel-efficient GLK 250 BlueTEC and the awe-inspiring SLS AMG GT. In addition, as part of our relentless effort to help make Canadian roads safer for everyone, we also successfully launched the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy for New Drivers in Vancouver," said Tim A. Reuss, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada. "The dynamic new products we are welcoming to our portfolio will further bolster our already highly desirable product line-up. We enter the second quarter of 2013 keen to continue the positive momentum with competitive offers from our partners at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services and an unparalleled national dealer network with experienced, hardworking teams that are equipped and ready to best serve the needs of existing and potential customers."

About Mercedes-Benz Canada

Mercedes-Benz Canada is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of the three brands within the Mercedes-Benz Group in Canada: Mercedes-Benz, AMG and smart. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. employs approximately 1,450 people in 22 locations across Canada.  Through a nationwide network of 13 Mercedes-Benz owned retail operations and 40 authorized dealerships, Mercedes-Benz Canada sold 35,503 vehicles in 2012, the best year ever reported for Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.

SOURCE: Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.

For further information:

JoAnne Caza  416-847-7550 [email protected]

Michael Minielly 416-847-7509 [email protected]

Further information from Mercedes-Benz is available on the internet at: www.media.mercedes-benz.ca