Daimler AG Reports Total of 18,908 Vehicles Sold in the U.S. for April 2010

NEW YORK, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Daimler AG (stock exchange abbreviation DAI) today reported U.S. sales of 18,908 Mercedes-Benz and smart vehicles. All sales figures in this release are on an unadjusted basis unless otherwise noted.

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Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported April sales of 18,228 vehicles, an increase of 25.1%, beginning the second quarter with a 25.5% increase on a year-to-date basis.  17,628 passenger cars, light truck vehicles and 600 Sprinter vans are included in this total.

Continued strong demand in both the Mercedes passenger car and light-truck categories fueled the 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 4,624.  The 9th generation E-Class continued to exhibit strong momentum with sales of 4,528 (up 152.3%) and the versatile M-Class SUV followed suit with sales of 2,269.

On a year-to-date basis, the company sold 68,794 new vehicles, an increase of 25.5% over last year.

smart USA recorded 680 sales in April 2010, an increase over March 2010, continuing the upward trajectory of sales in 2010. This is the fourth consecutive month that smart USA has recorded month-over-month increases. The smart USA street tour, crossing the country since February to put consumers behind the wheel of the smart fortwo, and a renewed marketing emphasis are contributing to the traction in the marketplace.

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

*Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter Vans are sold and marketed in the U.S. by Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler Vans USA, respectively.

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 euro 78.9 billion and EBIT amounted minus euro 1.5 billion.

SOURCE Daimler Corporate Communications