Middle East Mercedes-Benz sales buck world trend

The Mercedes Car Group, Dubai, was helped by sales of the new generation C-Class which were up 51 percent year-on-year and premium E-Class sedans which rose 20 percent.

These successes helped boost January - August unit sales to 7,090 from 6,555 in the first eight months of 2003 confirming the company's position as the region's leading luxury car manufacturer.

In 2004 sales of the C-Class have risen a massive 41 per cent to 1,625 from 1,150 vehicles in 2003 reflecting the succes of the vehicle particularly with a younger audience. Sales of the luxury E-Class sedan rose 32.8 per cent from 1,945 to 2,583 with Dubai registering a massive 49.9 per cent increase and Kuwait following closely behind with a 49.4 per cent boost.

"We are generally very pleased with the rise," said Johannes Fritz, Sales and Marketing Director, Mercedes Car Group, Dubai. "The remainder of the 2004 looks very positive with new vehicles such as the S 280, SLK 350 and the CLS, a ground-breaking vehicle that for the first time combines the elegance and dynamism of a coupe with the comfort and practicality of a saloon, arriving in showrooms over the next three months."