Mercedes sales in the third quarter of 2026 continued to decline compared with the same period in 2025. However, there is also good news: sales of electric models have started to grow spectacularly, increasing by 52%.
Mercedes has been unable to halt the decline in sales due to the sharp drop in demand in China. In the third quarter of 2026, Mercedes sold 491,700 passenger cars and vans, compared with 525,300 in the same period of 2025, representing another 6% decline.
Passenger car sales amounted to 407,200 units, compared with 441,500 in the same period of 2025, representing an 8% decrease, while van sales increased slightly, by 1%, to 84,400 units.
China continues to be a very problematic market for Mercedes, with sales in the third quarter of 2026 falling by 31% to just 86,800 units, compared with 125,100 in the same period of 2025.
Unfortunately, the increase in sales in Europe and the USA during the third quarter of 2026 could not offset the massive decline in China.
In Europe, sales increased by 5%, from 160,800 to 168,700 units, with Germany driving the growth, where sales increased from 51,600 to 58,300 units (+13%).
In North America, sales increased by 4%, from 80,000 to 83,200 units, with the main growth coming from the US, where sales increased by 6%, from 70,800 to 75,300 units.
There is, however, also good news regarding sales of electric models. The adoption of the new MB.EA and MMA platforms with 800V technology has led to an accelerated increase in electric vehicle sales.
Sales of electric models increased by 61%, from 42,600 to 68,400 units, representing remarkable progress. In the first nine months of 2026, Mercedes sold 165,500 electric models, compared with 118,400 units in the same period of 2025.
The new electric GLC, CLA, GLB and GLA are sold out through the end of 2026, with orders extending well into 2027. As a result, the plants in Bremen, Rastatt and Kecskemét are operating at full capacity in three shifts.
On the other hand, due to reduced demand for PHEV models in China, Mercedes has stopped publishing sales figures for plug-in hybrid models. In the third quarter of 2025, Mercedes sold 96,300 PHEVs, but the German manufacturer is no longer publishing PHEV sales figures.
Sales by segment
Sales declined across all segments: Top End, Core and Entry, with decreases ranging from 4% to 21%.
The most affected was the Top End segment, where Mercedes sold only 53,900 units, compared with 67,800 in the same period of 2025, representing a 21% decline. Mercedes hopes that the comprehensive facelift of the S-Class, launched in spring 2026, and the recently unveiled facelift of the GLS will help revive sales.
Mercedes also expects AMG sales to increase following the discontinuation of the four-cylinder versions of the AMG GLC and the introduction of the new mild-hybrid inline-six-cylinder engine.
In the Core segment, sales declined by 6%, from 249,800 to 234,200 units. However, there are also good prospects for growth in the fourth quarter of 2026 thanks to the introduction of the C-Class facelift, the electric C-Class and the comprehensive facelift of the GLE SUV, which, like the GLS, has received a new operating system based on Google services.
The smallest decline, at just 4%, was recorded in the Entry segment. Sales in this segment fell only slightly, from 123,800 to 119,200 units. Here too, there are prospects for growth thanks to increasing demand for the electric versions of the CLA, GLB and GLA, with the GLA having only recently been launched.
Van sales
Things look much better in the van segment, with Mercedes recording a 1% increase to 84,400 units.
Of these, 9,600 were electric vans, representing a 12% increase. This growth contributed to the strong overall result for electric models, including both passenger cars and vans, whose combined sales increased by 52%, from 51,200 to 78,100 units.
Sales in the first nine months of 2026
In the first nine months of 2026, Mercedes-Benz Group sold 1,503,200 vehicles, 6% fewer than in the same period of 2025.
Of these, 1,244,400 were passenger cars and 258,800 were vans. If the fourth quarter of 2026 is stronger than the third quarter, as expected based on the seasonal dynamics of previous years, Mercedes-Benz Group could reach 2 million vehicles sold. However, the result would still be weaker than in 2025, when Mercedes-Benz Group sold 2,160,000 vehicles, including 1,800,800 passenger cars.
| Q3 2026 | Change Q3 2025 | YTD 2025 | Change YTD 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz Group | 491,700 | -6% | 1,503,200 | -6% |
| of which BEVs | 78,100 | 52% | 191,400 | 38% |
| Mercedes-Benz Cars | 407,200 | -8% | 1,244,400 | -7% |
| of which BEVs | 68,400 | 61% | 165,500 | 40% |
| Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales by Segment* | ||||
| Top-end | 53,900 | -21% | 173,500 | -12% |
| Core | 234,200 | -6% | 731,500 | -7% |
| Entry | 119,200 | -4% | 339,400 | -5% |
| Mercedes-Benz Cars sales by regions | ||||
| Europe** | 168,700 | 5% | 493,700 | 5% |
| of which Germany | 58,300 | 13% | 163,600 | 9% |
| Asia | 132,300 | -25% | 423,200 | -25% |
| of which China | 86,800 | -31% | 297,000 | -29% |
| North America*** | 83,200 | 4% | 264,200 | 11% |
| of which USA | 75,300 | 6% | 238,300 | 12% |
| Rest of the world | 23,000 | -8% | 63,400 | -10% |
*Top End: Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach, G-Class, S-Class, GLS, EQS and EQS SUV
*Core: All derivatives of the C-Class and E-Class, including EQE and EQE SUV
*Entry: All derivatives of the A-Class and B-Class, including EQA and EQB
**Europe: European Union, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Norway
***North America: USA, Canada and Mexico
