Mercedes-Benz closed the first quarter of 2019 with 560,873 passenger cars sold worldwide (-5.6%). For the third year in a row, sales in the first quarter were therefore well over 550,000 units. In March, 227,644 vehicles with the three-pointed star were delivered to customers all over the world (-4.1%).

The first three months of the year featured important model changes in the highest-volume SUV and compact-car segments. The company expects an increasing vehicle availability in the next months and therefore global sales to increase slightly overall in 2019. Since the beginning of the year, Mercedes-Benz has maintained its market leadership in the premium segment in Germany, the U.K., France, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Denmark, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Brazil and other markets.

"We are delighted with the best quarter ever for Mercedes-Benz in China and the successful market launch of the new B-Class in Europe. The first three months of the year were challenging worldwide due to the ongoing model changes for SUVs and compact cars," said Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales.