Aussie Benz outfit on top of the world

MERCEDES-BENZ’S Australian outpost has been awarded the German company’s top gong, being named 2010 Global Market of the Year.

The announcement was made last night by Daimler AG board of management member Dr Wolfgang Bernhard at a meeting of senior management in Stuttgart as Mercedes-Benz celebrates its 125th anniversary.

It is the first time in 52 years of Australian sales that Mercedes-Benz Australia Pacific has won the award, which is judged on a range of about 15 criteria such a sales penetration, financial status and customer satisfaction index figures.

To win, the Australian company had to outpoint fellow distributors from around the world, including the booming Chinese enterprise.

It is a feather in the cap for the team headed by Mercedes-Benz Cars Australia’s managing director, Horst von Sanden, who was in Germany for the meeting.

Daimler AG board member Dr Wolfgang Bernhard.

"This is an unequivocal recognition of the dedication and professionalism of the team at Mercedes-Benz Cars and our dealer partners,” he said.

“We grew our market share by almost double the total market growth and we finished the year as the premier prestige brand in Australia with 18,464 sales (passenger cars and SUVs).

“We are extremely proud to be recognised for this unique honour, but the real winners are the almost 18,500 customers who last year purchased one of our vehicles, and we thank them for making this success possible.”

Mercedes’ Australian sales rose 17.5 per cent in 2010 to 22,329 units, will includes commercial vehicles as well as passenger cars.

This year, the company is preparing to pour more coal on the fire, with the arrival of the facelifted mass-selling C-class about mid year, Australia’s only Euro 6 diesel car, the S350 Bluetec, a new G-Wagen range, the second-generation CLS four-door ‘coupe’ and all-new SLK sports car that is just about to debut at the Geneva motor show.