NEW YORK, April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Daimler AG (stock exchange abbreviation DAI) today reported U.S. sales of 22,971 Mercedes-Benz and smart vehicles, an improvement of 11 Percent compared to March 2010. All sales figures in this release are on an unadjusted basis unless otherwise noted.

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Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported March sales of 22,546 vehicles, a 12.6% improvement over March 2010 and the company's highest March volume and first quarter on record. 21,484 passenger cars, light truck vehicles and 1,062 Sprinter vans are included in this total.

On a year-to-date basis, the 55,995 vehicles sold represent a 10.7% increase.

The highest volume performers for the month were the C- and E-Class model lines. The sporty C-Class – the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers – led the pack with sales of 6,542, up 8.9% over March 2010. The 9th generation E-Class continued its strong momentum with sales of 6,107, up 21.1% over last year. MBUSA's versatile SUV, the M-Class, finished third in volume with sales of 2,792, up 29.6% compared to March 2010.  

The R-Class crossover also made gains with sales up 76.7% year-to-date, followed by the commanding G-Class, up 59.7% over March 2010. The company also sold 102 of its supercar -- the SLS AMG -- bringing its year-to-date sales to 255.

Sales of Sprinter Vans increased by 175.1% for the month, with sales of 1,062 - bringing a year-to-date total of 2,649 - up 98.1%.  

smart USA recorded 425 sales in March 2011. Retail sales increased nearly 50 percent month-over-month from February 2011 as a result of higher consumer demand for fuel efficient vehicles due to rising fuel prices.

In March, smart USA delivered 20 smart fortwo electric drive vehicles to the Automobile Club of Southern California part of a research project to test the utility and benefits of electric cars in the Auto Club's activities. It is the nation's largest private fleet of smart fortwo electric drive vehicles to date. The smart fortwo electric drive will make its first New York Auto Show appearance in April.

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

The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. 125 years later, in anniversary year 2011, 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. 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 all three technologies of hybrid drive, electric motors and fuel cells, 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. In addition to Mercedes-Benz, the world's most valuable automotive brand, Daimler's brand portfolio includes 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 the year 2010, the Daimler Group sold 1.9 million vehicles and employed a workforce of more than 260,000 people; revenue totaled euro 97.8 billion and EBIT amounted to euro 7.3 billion.

SOURCE Daimler Corporate Communications