Mercedes-Benz Middle East and Levant has announced 2012 as its best ever sales year on record, attributing the results to the resounding success of its two pronged ‘Year of the SUV' and ‘Year of the AMG' regional strategy. With 2012 regional sales up 16.7 percent on 2011, Mercedes-Benz smashed its existing best sales year record set in 2008 and closed the year with an astounding 15 consecutive months of double-digit growth. Spearheaded by the launch of the M-Class, G-Class and flagship GL; new SUVs matching peerless performance, fascinating technology, space and refinement assured a best ever SUV sales year, increasing 38 percent on 2011. Meeting performance with sophistication, the March launch of the M-Class and its three variants – V6 ML 350, V8 ML 500 and ML 63 AMG - saw its sales go into overdrive, increasing 52 percent on 2011 and earning accolades that included ‘Wheels: Best SUV' and ‘Middle East Motoring Awards: Best Performance SUV' for the ML 63 AMG, as well as‚ Middle East Motoring Awards: Best Premium Large SUV' for the ML 350. The region's love affair with the incomparable G-Class continued, with sales of the G 55 AMG and newly launched G 63 AMG and G 65 AMG variants climbing 74 percent. The high performance Mercedes-AMG division stormed to a best ever annual result that surpassed 2011 sales by 80 percent. Fuelling the boost were the G 63 AMG and G 65 AMG variants, as well as the most powerful C-Class of all time – C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series; the athletic and sporty SLK 55 AMG Roadster; dual personality E 63 AMG executive saloon; and 525hp, zero to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds ML 63 AMG. With 12 new models and their variants launched in 2012, regional sales were spurred on by the E-Class, which continues to represent one of Mercedes-Benz most popular models, marked by the milestone achievement of over 15,000 regional unit sales for saloon, coupe, and cabriolet variants since its launch in 2009. The second generation of the pioneering CLS four door coupé continued to captivate Middle Eastern customers, who bought 88 percent more of the automotive style statement in 2012. – SG
