Daimler AG Reports Total of 20,700 Vehicles Sold in the U.S. for March 2010

NEW YORK, April 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Daimler AG (stock exchange abbreviation DAI) today reported U.S. sales of 20,700 Mercedes-Benz and smart vehicles. All sales figures in this release are on an unadjusted basis unless otherwise noted.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported March sales of 20,023 vehicles, up 28.3%, propelling the company to a 25.7% increase for the first quarter.

Healthy demand in both the Mercedes passenger car and light-truck categories fueled the increase in sales volume for the month.  In the sedan category, the popular C-Class -- the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand for younger as well as first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers -- maintained its lead as the volume leader with sales of 6,006.  The new 9th generation E-Class continued to exhibit strong momentum with sales of 5,042 (up 154.9%) and the sporty GLK followed suit with sales of 2,333.  On a year-to-date basis, the company sold 50,566 new vehicles, an increase of 25.7% over last year.

smart USA recorded 677 sales in March 2010, an 53.2 percent improvement over February 2010 and second consecutive month-over-month increase of at least 50 percent. Thus far in 2010, smart sales have increased an average of 56 percent from the previous month. In addition, smart USA crossed the 40,000 U.S. vehicle sales mark in March, a significant milestone since first going on sale in early 2008. This year, smart USA is taking the fortwo to the streets and putting the vehicle in the hands of consumers with test drive events across the country. Consumers can find the latest tour schedule at www.smartusa.com/streettour. The smart fortwo offers the right balance of power, outstanding fuel efficiency, innovative safety features, environmental friendliness and excellent value. There are 78 smart centers located in 36 states.

Detailed vehicle sales information for MBUSA will be announced in a separate press release issued by Mercedes-Benz USA.

    
    
    
    Mercedes-Benz Cars Division in the U.S. Sales Summary Through March 2010
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Month Sales      %          Sales CYTD      %
                        Curr Yr    Pr Yr  Change   Curr Yr    Pr Yr  Change
                        -------    -----  ------   -------    -----  ------
    Mercedes-Benz
     USA (passenger
     cars and light 
     truck vehicles)     19,637   15,602   25.9%    49,229   40,234   22.4%
    
    smart USA               677    1,746  -61.2%     1,397    4,937  -71.7%
    
    Mercedes-Benz
     Sprinter               386                      1,337
    
    Mercedes-Benz
     USA / smart USA
     combined            20,700   17,348   19.3%    51,963   45,171     15%
    

Further information on Daimler is available on the internet at www.media.daimler.com

About Daimler

Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides its customers with a full range of automotive financial services including financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management.

The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As an automotive pioneer, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility. The Group applies innovative and green technologies to produce safe and superior vehicles which fascinate and delight its customers. With the development of alternative drive systems, Daimler is the only vehicle producer investing in hybrid drive, electric motors and fuel-cell systems, with the goal of achieving emission-free mobility in the long term. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment.

Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world's most valuable automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, the brands smart, Maybach, Freightliner, Western Star, Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt, New York and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2009, the Group sold 1.6 million vehicles and employed a workforce of more than 256,000 people; revenue totaled EUR 78.9 billion and EBIT amounted minus EUR 1.5 billion.

SOURCE Daimler Corporate Communications

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