Mercedes-Benz M'sia's sales hit record in 2016

Detail view of the grille of a 2018 Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet being displayed during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Blinch

KUALA LUMPUR: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) posted an all-time record sales of 11,779 units in 2016, up 9% from 10,845 units sold in the previous year.

MBM president and chief executive officer Dr Claus Weidner said Mercedes-Benz continued to be the number one premium car brand locally with a 2.4% market share and hoped to retain its pole position in 2017.

“2016 was an exceptional year in the history of MBM. We achieved a tremendous milestone as we contributed towards the global success of Mercedes-Benz, which set a new record with double-digit growth of 11.3% and over two million vehicles sold worldwide. 

“We are working hard to sustain our success here in Malaysia,” he told a media briefing on the group’s 2016 performance in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

MBM’s record-breaking performance came as demand for Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the Asia-Pacific region achieved a new high, increasing by 19.3% compared to 2015 which totalled 734,109 vehicles delivered to customers.

Malaysia was listed as a contributor to this best in history growth along with other leading Asia Pacific countries, namely Japan (+3.5%), South Korea (+25%), Australia (+14.8%) and Taiwan (+17.4%).

Amid the challenging economy, Weidner said MBM’s strategy of prioritising customer service had paid off and kept its sales performance at a steady pace throughout 2016.

He said MBM’s production plant in Pekan, Pahang, produced 7,882 vehicles last year, recording a growth of 2.2% from the previous year.

He said the group also offered a comprehensive financing at 1.88% and has a loan portfolio of RM1.8bil currently, with four out of every 10 vehicles sold being financed and insured by its sister company, Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia.

“MBM will continue to invest in dealer network, upgrade facilities and up skill its manpower in Malaysia,” he added. 

Meanwhile, MBM vice president (sales and marketing) Mark Raine said the company hoped to register another stellar performance in 2017, banking on new model launches expected this year together with the 17 models launched last year.

On the impact of weak ringgit on car sales and pricing, he said MBM would continue to monitor all influencing factors, but as of now, it had no plans to increase the prices of its vehicles. - Bernama