Mercedes-Benz Sold 594,600 Cars And Vans In Q3, Down 3%

(RTTNews) - Mercedes-Benz Group Thursday said it sold 594,600 cars and vans in the third quarter in a challenging environment.

The company said sales of passenger cars continued to rise quarter-on-quarter, driven by improved product availability. However, softer demand, mainly in Asia, affected overall sales.

Mercedes-Benz Vans faced a softening environment in the third quarter especially in the core markets Germany, U.S. and China. In Europe overall, excluding Germany, Mercedes-Benz Vans saw a very solid sales development.

"Mercedes-Benz sold more than 500,000 cars from July to September, a slight increase compared with the second quarter and in line with the prior-year period. Offering desirable products is the best way to forge ahead as consumer demand softens in some important markets." Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.

Mercedes-Benz Cars third-quarter sales rose 1% on the quarter, to 503,600 units and remained on last years' level as weaker macroeconomic conditions, mainly in Asia, outweighed improved product availability in the third quarter.

The market environment for battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales remained subdued with competitive pricing in important markets. Plug-in-Hybrids sales increased by 10% globally in the third quarter mainly driven by the U.S. market.