German carmaker Mercedes-Benz has reported a 7% decrease in deliveries for the first quarter of 2025 (Jan-Mar), with sales of cars and vans totalling 529,200 units compared to 568,400 in the same period last year.
The decline was largely driven by weaker demand in key markets such as China and Europe.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The company also saw a 10% decline in battery electric vehicle sales to 45,500 from 50,500 vehicles compared to the same period last year.
Despite the overall downturn, the Mercedes Cars unit in America experienced a 1% increase in sales.
However, the brand faced a 10% sales drop in China and Germany, and a 7% decrease in Europe.
In contrast, the top-end segment of Mercedes-Benz vehicles saw a slight increase in market share, achieving 65,100 units in the first quarter, which represents 14.6% of total sales, up from 14.4% in the first quarter of the previous year.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataMercedes-Benz sold 446,300 cars in Q1 2025 and the overall sales performance was was impacted by model transition dynamics within the Entry segment, particularly in Germany, following the phase-out of the electric Smart in Europe.
Mercedes-AMG, the performance division of Mercedes-Benz, bucked the trend with a 17% increase in sales, attributed to the launch of new models such as the GLC, CLE, E-Class, and GT.
The G-Class also enjoyed an 18% rise in sales in Q1 2025 compared to the same period previous year.
Mercedes Benz Group marketing & sales board of management member Mathias Geisen said: “The overall sales results reflect a mixed picture throughout the world with a positive development in North America and other important markets, especially South Korea. Mercedes-AMG and the G-Class delivered once more a strong sales performance underscoring the attractiveness of the Top-End segment.”
Plug-in hybrid models continued to perform well, especially in the US market, with an 8% increase in global sales.
The company acknowledged that sales of battery electric vehicles were below the previous year’s level, impacted by the phase-out of the electric smart in Europe and a dynamic market environment in key markets.
Looking ahead, Mercedes-Benz is preparing to launch the all-new CLA, which will be the first in a series of new battery electric vehicles from the brand.
CLA sales in the US and China are scheduled to begin in the second half of the year.
