So far in 2006, the German automotive brand has delivered 25 per cent more cars to Australian customers than last year, with year-to-date sales coming in at 3,542 units.

The record start to the year came after sales in both February and March reached new highs. The Stuttgart manufacturer delivered a March record of 1,372 vehicles last month, representing a 30 per cent increase in sales compared to March last year.

Continuing strong customer demand for Mercedes-Benz products in the small car segment, such as the A-Class and recently released compact sports tourer B-Class, and luxury four wheel drive segment, for the new ML-Class off-roader, helped push the brand to new heights. In addition, the arrival of the all-new flagship S-Class helped boost sales last month.

ML-Class sales jumped 411 per cent to 276 units in March as the company continued to meet growing demand for its popular model in the luxury four-wheel drive segment, particularly with diesel customers.

The new B-Class, which brings Mercedes levels of safety, refinement and design to the growing small car segment, was also a big contributor, adding 90 units in March. Not to be outdone, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class continued its growing appeal in the small car segment increasing sales (+90 units) by 473 per cent over last March.

Mercedes-Benz witnessed a 947 per cent increase in customer demand for its products in the small car segment over last March, thanks to the introduction of the new A-Class and B-Class.

In its first full month of sales, 53 examples of the all-new flagship S-Class were delivered, representing a 152 per cent increase over last March which bodes well for both the current strength of the upper luxury segment and appeal of the new flagship Mercedes.

The managing director of the Mercedes Car Group in Australia, Horst von Sanden, said the combination of a number of factors led to the record sales: “Customers in the market for a luxury car are reacting favourably to the introduction of a number of new Mercedes models. Combining this with a healthy economic environment and positive consumer and business confidence leads to record sales.”