Mercedes-Benz says China to pass UK as No. 3 market

Mercedes expects sales in China to only lag behind Germany and the United States next year, helped by growth that has put China on course to pass Japan as the world's No. 2 economy. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the world's biggest luxury-car maker, also announced plans for a new China plant earlier this month. “We are always confident that this market will continue to grow, especially in the luxury-car segment, as we believe the Chinese economy will continue to grow,” said Bjorn Hauber, general manager for sales and marketing at Mercedes-Benz China.

Sales of Mercedes cars rose 55 percent in China in the first 10 months of this year to 50,700, making it the nation's fastest-growing luxury-vehicle brand.

The company expects its cars sold in China to be evenly split between imports and locally made models by the end of next year, Maier said. At present, 70 percent are imported.

Daimler Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche said this month he expects Mercedes to overtake BMW in China “soon.” China is the world's biggest market for Mercedes-Benz's S-Class model.

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