• Mercedes-Benz concluded 2009 with its highest sales ever recorded in its 23 years in China with 68,500 units for the year, positioning itself once again as the market leader with the highest growth rate in the luxury market with an annual increase of 77% year-on-year;
• The new generation S-Class witnessed sales of nearly 15,000 units, reinforcing China as the flagship's largest market in the world;
• The all-new E-Class ended the year with almost 8,200 units sold just five months after its market launch, thus carrying on the legacy and success of its last eight generations;
• The C-Class finished 2009 with total deliveries of more than 16,000 units to become the best-selling car in the Mercedes-Benz family;
• Newly launched models during 2009, including the mid-size luxury SUV GLK-Class, luxury sports tourer B-Class, and urban mobility solution smart all experienced significant popularity and achieved steady sales growth to contribute to Mercedes-Benz's overall success of the year.
• Mercedes-Benz has introduced a diverse selection of innovative green technology in China, including models equipped with HYBIRD technology, BlueEFFICIENCY package and direct-injection gasoline CGI engines, and smaller displacement engines to push forward sustainable transportation in the market
• As a responsible corporate citizen, Mercedes-Benz remains dedicated to supporting environmental protection and the development of arts and sports in China.

Beijing, January 11, 2010 – Last month, Mercedes-Benz concluded a successful year by again shattering all of its monthly records to sell 9,350 units in December, signifying its highest monthly sales volume since entering China. This achievement marks the 6th time in 2009 the automaker has broken its own previous monthly sales records. With such a noteworthy performance, the three-pointed star's four exclusive brands of Mercedes-Benz, smart, AMG and Maybach achieved total sales of 68,500 units in 2009, marking a 77% growth from 2008 and the highest sales recorded during its presence in China to reinforce its place as the fastest-growing luxury brand in the country.

"Thanks to a close and fruitful cooperation with our joint-venture BBDC as well as our dealers, Mercedes-Benz mirrored the success of this auto industry last year and marked 2009 as our best year ever, during which China became the 4th largest market for Mercedes-Benz in the world," said Mr. Klaus Maier, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd. "As Mercedes-Benz continues to gain momentum in China in 2010, we will further consolidate our leadership position in the luxury segment and expand our influence, bringing the luxurious experience that the three-pointed star is renowned for to even more customers in China."

As Mercedes-Benz's flagship model, the new generation S-Class celebrated its China launch last August, introducing a full range of new generation models to set new benchmarks with state-of-the-art craftsmanship, dynamic design and innovative technology. With the richest lineup in its segment – including the S 400 HYBRID, the world's first series-production vehicle to feature a hybrid drive with lithium-ion battery, the S 300 that extends luxury to the entry level, and the ultra-luxurious S 600 – the new generation models further meet the needs of China's top echelon customers. Moreover, the S-Class enjoyed the leading market share of the top luxury segment and played a key factor in Mercedes-Benz's sales success in 2009 with nearly 15,000 units in total, further solidifying China's position as its largest market in the world.

The all-new E-Class continued to carry on the legacy of its last eight generations as the "World's Best Business Sedan", concluding 2009 with total deliveries of nearly 8,200 units – just five months after its launch in the China market. This comes on the tail of its newest model launches last November - the all-new E 200 CGI ELEGANCE and E 260 CGI AVANT-GARDE, which are all fully equipped with Mercedes-Benz's environmentally-friendly BlueEFFICIENCY package and direct-injection gasoline CGI engines, combining higher fuel efficiency with minimized CO2 emissions to exemplify the automaker's green luxury philosophy.

Although only launched in China in 2008, the C-Class has grown to become the best-selling product of Mercedes-Benz in the market, witnessing sales of more than 16,000 units and a year-on-year growth of 156.3% – greatly surpassing its sales target for the year. In December alone, despite limited production capacity, the locally produced C-Class achieved a remarkable growth of 54.4% compared with the same period of last year. Looking forward, Mercedes-Benz will continue to work hand in hand with BBDC to further strengthen the local production and deepen its roots in China as part of its long-term market strategy.

During the past year, Mercedes-Benz's newly launched models, including the mid-size luxury SUV GLK-Class, the Luxury Sports Tourer B-Class, and the trend-setting smart, have all become key factors in the three-pointed star's success in China, which is a true testament of the popularity of Mercedes-Benz's models with smaller-displacement engines among China's environmentally-friendly conscious customers. Overall, the SUV family's diverse product lineup, consisting of the M-Class, GL-Class, G-Class, GLK-Class and R-Class, contributed more than 15,800 units to Mercedes-Benz's overall sales total this year.

Mercedes-Benz's sports car lineup also maintained impressive figures. Meanwhile, AMG, the Mercedes-Benz high performance brand, achieved accelerated sales growth of 21% year-on-year in 2009, reflecting its growing popularity with discerning customers desiring individualism, exclusivity and high performance.

This record-breaking year for Mercedes-Benz was driven by a combination of factors, including an increasingly diversified product lineup, unparalleled service, and enriched brand strategy. Mercedes-Benz continued to bring its star service and products even closer to customers, by rapidly developing its dealership network to 140 authorized sales and services centers throughout the country. Beyond this, the newly launched StarElite Pre-Owned Program during 2009 allows even more Chinese customers to enjoy the full Mercedes-Benz experience.

Moreover, the commitment from the three-pointed star to the preservation of World Natural Heritage Sites in China through its Green Legacy Program in partnership with UNESCO, in addition to numerous sponsorship activities supporting the development of arts and sports – including its strategic partnership with the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the new iconic Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, the "Swing for the Stars" Junior Tennis Development Program, and F1 sponsorships – all continuously help to enrich Mercedes-Benz brand image in the China market.