Mercedes-Benz Car Sales Fall on China, Macroeconomic Challenges -- Update

Dow Jones04-09

By Dominic Chopping

Mercedes-Benz car sales fell in the first quarter as strong growth in the U.S. and Europe only partially offset a hefty sales drop in China, macroeconomic uncertainties and challenging market conditions.

The German luxury automaker's car sales fell 6% to 419,400 vehicles while global car and van sales fell 6% to 499,700 vehicles, it said Thursday.

"While recent model launches are supporting sales prospects in the coming quarters, the company continues to closely monitor the geopolitical environment, the conflict in the Middle East and its potential impact on global consumer sentiment," it said in a statement.

Car sales in China--Mercedes-Benz's largest market--fell 27%, with the company noting that 2026 is a transition year in the country as it replaces several key models. It is expanding its China portfolio of vehicles with different drivetrains and equipping them with China-specific premium infotainment systems and advanced driver-assistance systems.

In the U.S., car sales rose 20% on year. Continued demand for top-end vehicles in the country drove higher sales of Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Maybach models, and the company said it is now placing even greater focus on the localization of products and value creation in the region.

Sales in Europe increased 7%.

The company said battery-electric car sales increased by 9% on year to 44,300 cars, mainly driven by the new electric CLA. Demand for the new model is exceeding global production capacities and output is running at full capacity in three shifts at its Rastatt plant in Germany.

Order books for the electric CLA, GLB and GLC models are filled well into the second half of the year, while order intake for its new S-Class in Europe is above expectations following the January sales launch, it said.

"As the availability of our new products scales up, we remain highly focused on converting strong customer interest into overall sales momentum in the coming months," sales chief Mathias Geisen said.

Write to Dominic Chopping at dominic.chopping@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 09, 2026 06:32 ET (10:32 GMT)

At the request of the copyright holder, you need to log in to view this content

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

Mercedes-Benz Car Sales Fall on China, Macroeconomic Challenges -- Update

At the request of the copyright holder, you need to log in to view this content

Comments