Mercedes May 2012 Sales up 24.4%
 

C and E-Class continue to power the three pointed star.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - June 1, 2012

Upcoming 2013 Mercedes GLK – The GLK will arrive sporting a European 2.1L I4 Turbo Diesel early next year.

Mercedes is prepping to do something it has not been able to accomplish in the US since its 300d. That is to provide its customers a truly fuel efficient yet luxurious choice with all the “fixins”.

Now in its 33rd year, the GLK has been significantly restyled. With a fresh new design, the latest feature set, pioneering assistance systems and finally an efficient engine, the restyled 2013 GLK compact SUV is set to possibly and finally make us grin.

The new interior and exterior are more dynamic, it will be equipped with the latest infotainment systems and a drivetrain that includes an ECO Stop/Start system. In addition, the DEF into an SCR based BlueTEC diesel emission control system makes its debut in the GLK250 BlueTEC.

While the direct injected and boosted 3.5L in the 2013 GLK350 will arrive in U.S. showrooms this summer, the GLK250 BlueTEC is being held back until early 2013.

The 2013 GLK will arrive as a RWD vehicle with a 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive system available as an option. For those considering taking their uber luxury GLK off-road, the vehicles approach and departure angle and ground clearance make it fully capable of mastering non-paved terrain.

LED daytime running lights (DRLs) are framed in chrome, the standard automatic headlamps feature locator lighting, while the optional Lighting Package comes with bi-xenon headlamps with active curve illumination, Active Highbeam Assist and a headlamp cleaning system.

The GLK's new drivetrain

The 2013 GLK350 and GLK350 4MATIC are both powered by the 3.5L with 302 HP and 273 lb-ft of torque described above.

The turbo diesel

The GLK 250 BlueTEC 4MATIC will be equipped with the 190 HP and 369 lb-ft. of torque I4 turbo diesel is said to be extremely frugal.

The standard seven-speed automatic transmission provides an even lower RPM torque-converter slip with an optimized damping system providing a significant reduction in the slip of the torque converter lockup clutch even under low loads. This technology allows an even faster response to accelerator input. Friction-optimized bearings and new transmission oil thermal management offer further improvements in fuel economy. The new transmission is also designed to work best with a new type of low-drag ATF fluid, colored blue instead of the usual red.

An ECO display in the instrument cluster is standard equipment, and enables the driver to monitor how driving style impacts fuel economy.

Mercedes Benz May Sales Overview

Mercedes-Benz this morning reported May sales of 22,515 for its Mercedes-Benz models, a 19.2 % improvement over May 2011, delivering a year-to-date total of 106,364 new vehicles to customers, up 17.8%. Combined sales of Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles, smart and Sprinter for the month totaled 25,259, up 24.4% bringing a year-to-date total of 117,231, up 22.8 %, making this the company's highest May on record.

Sales for the month of May were led by the C-, E- and M-Class model lines. The C-Class took the lead with sales of 6,649, up 34.7% and the 9th generation E-Class followed with sales of 5,576. MBUSA's top-selling SUV, the M-Class, rounded out the top three with sales of 3,198, up 65.9% compared to May 2011.

On a year-to-date basis, top performers again were the C-Class with 31,180, the E-Class with 24,777 and the M-Class with 17,735.

The company's smart brand achieved May sales of 703 vehicles, a 43% jump for the month (compared to the 492 vehicles sold in May 2011), bringing the year-to-date volume to 3,731, up 68%.

On the van side, sales of Sprinter Vans also saw best-ever sales in May with 2,041 vans to new customers – up 43.7% over last year and up 37.7% on a year-to-date basis.

B-Segment Sales Rank

1. Nissan Versa - 8,643
2. Chevrolet Sonic - 7,205
3. Hyundai Accent - 6,166
4. Ford Fiesta - 6,080
5. Kia Rio - 4,019
6. Honda Fit - 3,879
7. Toyota Yaris - 3,521
8. Mazda 2 - 901

C-Segment Sales Rank

1. Honda Civic - 33,490
2. Toyota Corolla - 31,847
3. Ford Focus - 24,769
4. Chevrolet Cruze - 19,613
5. Hyundai Elantra – 18,877
6. VW Jetta - 12,962
7. Mazda3 - 8,474
8. Forte - 7,782
9. Nissan Sentra - 7,600

D-Segment Sales Rank

1. Toyota Camry - 39,571
2. Honda Accord - 29,737
3. Chevrolet Malibu - 29,579
4. Ford Fusion - 26,857
5. Nissan Altima - 22,690
6. Hyundai Sonata - 20,765
7. Kia Optima - 13,364
8. Chrysler 200 - 13,250
9. VW Passat - 10,178

April segment ranking items of note: Versa still leads the B-Segment with Sonic and Accent closing. Rio and Fit both outsold the Yaris.

In the C-Segment, the Civic took hold of the lead with the ancient Corolla grabbing second place. The aging Forte outsold the aging Sentra.

The Camry leads everyone in the D-Segment with the Accord in second place.

Top 10 – May 2012 US Automobile Sales Leaders

Sales Rank	Make	Model	May-12	May-11	May-DSR % change	May-12 YTD	May-11 YTD	YTD-DSR % change
1	Ford	F-Series	54,836	42,399	+19.4%	246,116	214,461	+13.9%
2	Toyota	Camry	39,571	18,830	+94.0%	181,796	126,094	+43.0%
3	Chevrolet	Silverado	34,555	28,409	+12.3%	160,942	150,206	+6.3%
4	Honda	Civic	33,490	18,341	+68.6%	135,082	110,086	+21.7%
5	Toyota	Corolla	31,847	16,985	+73.1%	125,079	117,875	+5.3%
6	Honda	Accord	29,737	17,018	+61.3%	126,254	111,393	+12.4%
7	Chevrolet	Malibu	29,579	26,600	+2.6%	110,036	99,046	+10.2%
8	Ford	Fusion	26,857	24,666	+0.5%	112,416	110,878	+0.6%
9	Ram	Pickup	26,040	20,117	+19.5%	114,630	90,536	+25.6%
10	Honda	CR-V	25,186	16,307	+42.6%	123,400	95,423	+28.3%

The daily selling rate (DSR) is calculated with 26 selling days in May of 2012 and 24 selling days during May of 2011.
Year-to-date, the DSR is calculated with 127 days for 2012 and 126 days for 2011. All percentages reflect DSR.

Top 10 Sales Leaders items of note: Accord falls from third to sixth. Civic climbs two spots while Corolla falls back one. Malibu and Ram P/U climb one while CR-V falls back three places.

Automobile Manufacturer's US Sales Rank – May 2012 vs. May 2011 Comparison and Total Sales

1. GM May Sales up 10.9% with 245,256 vehicles sold.
2. Ford May Sales up 12.6% with 216,267 vehicles sold.
3. Toyota May Sales up 87.3% with 202,973 vehicles sold.
4. Chrysler May Sales up 30.1% with 150,041 vehicles sold.
5. Honda May Sales up 47.6% with 133,997 vehicles sold.
6. Nissan May Sales up 20.5% with 91,794 vehicles sold.
7. Hyundai May Sales up 13.2% with 67,019 vehicles sold.
8. Kia May Sales up 7.8% with 51,771 vehicles sold.
9. VW May Sales up 28.4% with 38,657 vehicles sold.
10. Subaru May Sales up 48.4% with 29,724 vehicles sold.
11. BMW May Sales up 7.1% with 28,321 vehicles sold.
12. Mercedes-Benz May Sales up 24.4% with 25,259 vehicles sold.
13. Mazda May Sales up 13.9% with 20,357 vehicles sold.
14. Audi May Sales up 10.0% with 11,503 vehicles sold.

May manufacturer sales rank items of note: BMW fell behind Subaru.

SAAR is running at approximately 14.2 Million units.