DAIMLER AG – The first vehicles from the new B-Class and new M-Class ranges will be going out to customers from 19 November. It has been possible to order these models since July and September respectively. Even prior to the dealer launch, the customer response has been outstanding. "The introduction of the new B-Class and the new M-Class brings two important models to the market, each of which raises the bar in its segment that little bit further. We have every confidence that they will continue to build on the success of their predecessors and help generate further momentum in terms of sales", emphasised Dr Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars.
The new B-Class: premium is not a matter of size
Since 2005 more than 700,000 customers have taken delivery of a B-Class. With about a third of worldwide sales since the beginning of the year having been made in Germany, this represents its biggest market, followed by China, where the B-Class was introduced with great success in 2009.
The new M-Class: improved efficiency and an exceptional level of safety
With altogether more than 1.2 million units sold, the M-Class is the most successful SUV in its segment. Since its market launch in 2005, more than half a million customers have opted for the most recent model generation and, in spite of a model change being imminent, sales in October increased by 22.2% percent, making the M-Class leader in its market segment. The biggest sales market is the US, with a share of approx. 40 percent since the start of 2011, followed by China and Germany.
One of the most impressive features of this third generation of the Mercedes-Benz
M-Class is its outstanding energy efficiency. The fuel consumption of the new models lies, on average, 25 percent below that of their predecessors. The fuel-efficiency champion is the ML 250 BlueTEC 4MATIC, which gets by with an NEDC consumption of just 6.0 l/100 km (158 g CO2/km).
Further strengths of the premium SUV with permanent all-wheel drive include exceptional safety and well-balanced ride comfort as well as excellent driving dynamics both on and off the road. What is more, the ML features an array of new chassis developments and innovative dynamic handling control systems which further enhance both driving enjoyment and handling safety.