Stuttgart - Mercedes-Benz Vans has recorded an increase in sales in the first half of 2017, with deliveries of 190,200 vehicles in all, the Vans division of Daimler beat the record set last year (176,200) by 8%.
Mercedes business unit has now been growing for five years in a row. All model series contributed to the latest sales record and set new highs: Sales of the large Sprinter van increased to about 96,200 units (previous year 95,100, +1%), the mid-size Vito van gained 14 % to come to 52,500 units (previous year 46,000), the V-Class multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) recorded an increase in sales by 24 % to about 29,000 units (previous year 23,300), and sales of the small Citan van improved by 5% to 12,500 units (previous year 11,900).
As part of the "Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global" business unit strategy, the division last year launched the V-Class and the Vito also in China, the world's largest automotive market. In addition, as the world's first premium manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz Vans will enter the European segment of mid-size pickups with the X-Class at year's end, with a local launch in the second quarter of 2018.