Mercedes-Benz climbed to the top of the premium segment, beating its German and other competitors in the number of vehicles delivered in the year, with strong growth posted in the Chinese and European markets, the company announced on Monday.
The Germany luxury car brand delivered 2.08 million cars across the globe in 2016, up 11.3 percent from 2015, Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler AG said in a press release. This was the first time Mercedes-Benz sold more than 2 million vehicles.
"2016 was the most successful year for Mercedes-Benz in the history of the company, and the sixth record year in succession, " Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said in the press release.
With such sales growth in 2016, Mercedes-Benz grew faster worldwide than its German competitors. It also delivered the most cars in the premium segment, according to the company.
And strong growth posted in the Chinese and European market helped Mercedes-Benz reach the top of the premium segment, Zetsche said.
In China, Mercedes-Benz 2016 sales reached a record high of 472,844 vehicles, up 26.6 percent year-on-year, making China the largest individual market for Mercedes-Benz again, according to the company. Sales in Europe grew by 12.4 percent to nearly 900,000 units, it said.
Sports utility vehicles and compact cars reached record sales of 706,170 units and 636,903 units, respectively, while the C-Class remained the best selling model, with sales of about 425,000 units, according to Daimler.
The Mercedes-AMG and smart brands also had a successful year in 2016, with sales growth of 40.1 percent and 21 percent, respectively, it added.
