Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz

Total sales: 2014 1,722,600

Headquarters: Stuttgart, Germany

Global market share: 2.1%

Accelerating production…

Mercedes‐Benz Cars recorded a 10% year‐on‐year sales uplift in 2014, with new models helping to spearhead expansion in line with the Mercedes‐Benz 2020 growth strategy. Key to the strategy is the expansion of Mercedes’ global presence, both in terms of sales reach and localisation of manufacturing operations for key markets. The first model to benefit from the increased international footprint was the new C‐Class sedan, which is now being produced in parallel in Germany, the United States, South Africa and China.

Mercedes achieved a strong overall sales performance in Europe in 2014, particularly in Spain (+35%), the United Kingdom (+13%) and France (+9%). Unit sales in Western Europe were up +4% over 2013, despite a ‐3% downturn in German sales.

A new sales record was achieved in the United States with sales of 334,000 vehicles (+8%), while sales in China achieved a +23% uplift. Mercedes also performed well in Japan (+14%), India (+14%) and Brazil (+6%) thanks to an improved sales network and the introduction of new models to broaden the brand’s international appeal.

A total of 471,700 new customers opted to buy an A‐Class, B‐Class, CLA‐Class or the new GLA‐Class series vehicle during 2014, representing an increase of +23% over the previous year. The sedans and wagons of the E‐Class remained popular, with unit sales of 329,000 for the E‐Class segment as a whole. 125,100 vehicles in the S‐Class segment were sold in 2014 (+75%), and C‐Class recorded 362,700 sales

(+2%) despite the fact that the new C‐Class models did not become available in all core markets until October 2014.

New GLA was the latest addition to the Mercedes range of SUVs, and the fourth of a total of five new compact models for the brand. Deliveries of the GLA to customers began in March 2014, and the fifth compact model, the CLA Shooting

Brake, available as of March 2015. The new S‐Class Coupe, which has been available since September 2014, is expected to provide an additional boost to sales in 2015.

After sales of more than 350,000 units of the B‐Class since its market launch in 2011, the first new B‐Class models were delivered in December 2014. The series is available with a choice of five diesel and four petrol engines, as well as alternative drive systems (electrical and natural gas), and the optional 4MATIC all‐wheel drive system.

Mercedes launched nine new models in China and made major investments in local production and research locations using a 500m renminbi (€75m) ‘panda bond’ secured by Daimler. The consolidation of marketing and sales activities was also completed, boosting the number of Mercedes‐Benz dealerships in China to 450 by the end of 2014.

Sales momentum was generated in Q4 by the launch of the long‐wheelbase CClass, engineered specifically for the Chinese market. In November 2014 the new Mercedes‐Maybach sub‐brand was launched with the S 6001 model.

View from the top

Sally Dennis, head of fleet at Mercedes-Benz UK, on the brand’s ability to attract new customers and its commitment to future drivetrain technology.

Has a broader range of C-segment vehicles helped increase European fleet share?

The Mercedes‐Benz range continues to grow in Europe thanks to the investment made in R&D by Daimler.

Over 67% of our compact car customers have been new to the brand. Over the next few years we will continue to grow the range with more new models and a real focus on e‐mobility. New cars in new segments make your brand far more appealing to the customer, whilst also giving choice, and more and more fleets are understanding that Mercedes can offer an all‐round cost effective solution without compromise.

How have fleets responded to the B-Class Electric Drive?

The B‐Class Electric Drive is the first all‐electric series production car from

Mercedes‐Benz and right‐hand drive version started production in March

How important is hybrid technology to Mercedes’ growth strategy?

With the introduction of Plug‐In Hybrid models Mercedes‐Benz is another step closer to zero‐emission mobility. We first launched the S 500 Plug‐In Hybrid and the C 350e will arrive in June. Mercedes‐Benz has committed to launching a total of 10 Plug‐In Hybrid models by 2017 and we see it as a real solution for the future. It is an efficient and practical solution for both short city journeys and longer motorway drives.

Looking forwards…

Mercedes‐Benz is undergoing a range‐wide reclassification of its models, aimed at making its drivetrain and position easier to understand. Four‐door coupes and SUVs will be renamed gaining the CL and GL prefixes respectively, followed by a letter identifying them as part of the A, C, E and S‐Class families. Plug‐in, diesel and natural gas drivetrains will be marked out my e, d and g suffixes.

New additions this year will follow this naming structure. The CLA Shooting brake, arriving this month, is the latest member of the brand’s family of compact models featuring a lower overall height and elongated roofline similar to the equivalent CLS.

From June 2015, the GLE Coupe will give Mercedes‐Benz a rival for the BMW X6, combining the sporty nature of a coupe and characteristics of a robust SUV. From launch this will be available as GLE 350d and GLE 400 diesel and petrol models offering 254hp and 362hp respectively.

There will also be a top‐of‐the range 362hp GLE 450 AMG model – the first model in the new AMG sports line, which straddles the gap between standard cars and full AMG models. This comes complete with DYNAMIC SELECT dynamic handling control system and Sports Direct‐Steer system.

Shortly afterwards, the GLE badge will extend to a refreshed version of the SUV currently badged as an ML‐Class, which is likely to adopt the same front‐end styling.

As well as the continuous expansion of the vehicle portfolio, Mercedes has also been working on a number of R&D projects for the burgeoning autonomous vehicle market.

The F015 luxury self‐driving sedan concept features a futuristic design and is based on the integration of an electric drive system with fuel cell technology.

The interior is designed to enable occupants to make the most of their journey time and is based on a variable seating system, with four rotating lounge chairs that allow a face‐to‐face seat configuration.

“Automated parking is among the functions that will make everyday life easier for drivers in the near future and we have already installed a wide array of partially autonomous driving functions in our core model ranges C, CLS, E and S‐Class,” comments Sally Dennis, head of fleet, Mercedes‐Benz UK.

“These include Lane Keeping Assist and DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot. This enables autonomous driving in congested traffic, which goes well beyond a parking function.”