Daimler AG Reports a 7.4 Percent Increase for Mercedes-Benz and smart Vehicles in the U.S. for August 2010

NEW YORK, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Daimler AG (stock exchange abbreviation DAI) today reported U.S. sales of 20,122 Mercedes-Benz and smart vehicles, an improvement of 7.4 Percent compared to August 2009. All sales figures in this release are on an unadjusted basis unless otherwise noted.

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Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported August sales of 19,674 vehicles, an increase of 15% for the month, with a 22.2% increase on a year-to-date basis. 18,826 passenger cars, light truck vehicles and 848 Sprinter vans are included in this total.

Impressive gains continued in both the Mercedes-Benz passenger car and light truck categories.  The strongest performer for the month was the popular and sporty C-Class, with sales of 6,100 (up 43.4%). The 9th generation E-Class followed suit with sales of 5,882 for the month (up 25.9%) – bringing the year-to-date total to 39,122 (up 70.6%). The versatile M-Class SUV rounded out the top three volume performers with sales of 2,473 for the month.

Also showing strong gains in August is the spacious R-Class crossover (up 389.7%) and the commanding G-Class SUV (up 62.2%).  The company also sold 56 of its newly launched supercar, the SLS AMG, bringing its year-to-date sales to 321.  On a year-to-date basis, the company sold 144,689 new vehicles, an increase of 22.2 % over last year.

smart USA recorded 448 sales in August 2010. In August, smart USA announced the availability of the smart drive app and smart drive kit for the iPhone for purchase. Together, the smart drive app and the kit turn the iPhone into an integrated information and multimedia system for smart owners. The smart fortwo, engineered by Mercedes-Benz, has the smallest exterior footprint of any car—just 8.8 feet long—but a large amount of head and legroom, more than many small sedans. The smart features the most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered engine in the U.S., with an EPA-estimated 41 mpg on the highway. It has exceptional safety ratings, and a full 95 percent of the smart's parts are recyclable.

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

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 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 euro 78.9 billion and EBIT amounted minus euro 1.5 billion.

SOURCE Daimler Corporate Communications