Daimler AG (stock exchange abbreviation DAI) today reported sales for the Mercedes-Benz Cars division in the U.S. (Mercedes-Benz and smart combined) of 17,646 units, a decline of 24 percent compared to July 2008. All sales figures in this release are on an unadjusted basis unless otherwise noted.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported July sales of 16,228 vehicles. While July volume was off by 21.7 percent versus July 2008, the July sales were MBUSA’s strongest so far this year and marked the third month of increasing sales momentum. The volume leaders for the month were the E, C, and GLK-Class with sales of 5,556, 4,450, and 1,809 respectively. The all-new 9th generation 2010 E-Class made a strong debut in its first full month on the market, topping July 2008 by 12.5%. On a year-to-date basis, the company sold 101,316 new vehicles, a decrease of 27.6 percent over the comparable period last year.

smart USArecorded 1,418 sales in July 2009, an increase of 27% versus June 2009, and its best month since March of this year. Since its introduction in the United States, there are now over 34,000 smart fortwos traveling the highways throughout America. The smart fortwo offers the right balance of power, outstanding fuel efficiency, innovative safety features, environmental friendliness and excellent value.

Detailed vehicle sales information for MBUSA will be announced later today in a separate press release issued by Mercedes-Benz USA.