Mercedes-Benz's third quarter sales fell 6 percent due to the impact of the Chinese market

Mercedes-Benz Group announced global vehicle sales figures for the third quarter of 2026.

Accordingly, the sales of the group's main brand, Mercedes-Benz Cars (passenger car) department, decreased by 8 percent in the July-September period compared to the same period last year, falling to 407 thousand 200 units.

The company's light commercial vehicle (van) sales increased by 6 percent in the same period, reaching 84 thousand 400.

Thus, the company's vehicle sales in the third quarter decreased by 6 percent to 491 thousand 600.

A historical record was broken in electric vehicles

The German luxury car manufacturer's battery electric vehicle sales increased by 61 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period last year, breaking the quarterly record in the company's history with 68 thousand 400 units.

A quarter of Mercedes-Benz vehicles sold worldwide in the third quarter were fully electric (BEV) or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models.

Sharp decline in China, growth in Western markets

Mercedes-Benz's sales in China, its largest market, decreased by 31 percent in the third quarter, falling below 87 thousand units, due to intense competition and difficult market conditions.

Despite this loss in China, the brand's sales increased by 5 percent to 168 thousand 700 in Europe and by 4 percent to 83 thousand 200 in North America. Passenger vehicle sales in the US market grew by 6 percent in the third quarter.

The company reported that the demand for the new generation electric GLC, CLA, GLB and GLA models in the European market is very strong and that these models are completely sold out for the rest of the year, with orders extending until 2027.