Mercedes Posts Record Sales Month

Daimler AG says sales by its Mercedes-Benz Cars unit climbed 8% to an any-month record of 198,900 vehicles in March. Results helped hike the company’s first-quarter volume 13% to a record 483,500 units.

March deliveries of Mercedes-brand passenger vehicles in Europe climbed 10% to 97,700 units. Sales jumped 18% to 63,900 units in Asia Pacific, led by a 27% increase to a record 38,100 cars in China.

The brand’s volume in North America fell 4% to 32,900 deliveries in March and finished the first quarter at 87,900 units, down 1%. Monthly sales in the U.S. dropped 6% to 28,200 vehicles.

Daimler says worldwide demand for its compact cars surged 22% to a record 66,900 units last month. Deliveries of SUV/crossovers zoomed 44% to 62,600 units. Sales by the company’s Smart city-car unit climbed 35% to 16,100 vehicles in March, as deliveries nearly doubled in Italy and the U.K.