Best January yet for Mercedes-Benz C-Class

The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan and station wagon have started 2019 with the best global January sales result yet.

More than 36,000 customers took delivery of a new C-Class sedan or wagon last month, representing a worldwide increase of 2.8% in unit sales of those models.

Sales of the C-Class sedan were strong in January in Germany, the United Kingdom and China, with double-digit sales growth in each of those markets.

Mercedes-Benz Cars delivered 6.7% fewer vehicles globally in January 2019, with 180,539 units collected by new owners. The manufacturer says sales were affected by model changes in the high-volume SUV and compact-car segments.

Although Mercedes-Benz sold more than 60,000 SUVs, in January 2019 (GLA, GLC, GLC Coupé, GLE, GLE Coupé, GLS and G-Class models) it was a 15.9% decline on the previous corresponding period.

The model change of the GLE as well as the B-Class, and CLA, each with a double-digit sales decrease, impacted total unit sales worldwide.

The company expects the model changes to affect deliveries in the first quarter. With a high degree of probability, the full year will be affected also by exogenous challenges and geopolitical risks.

However, Mercedes-Benz Cars believes that the model offensive will lead to sales growth in the second half of the year. It expects to slightly increase its worldwide unit sales overall, and to achieve another record in 2019.

In January 2019 Mercedes-Benz Cars retained its market leadership in the premium segment in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic, South Korea, the United States, Canada and Brazil.