Mercedes-Benz China sales fall 31% as it eyes bigger US push

Mercedes-Benz's car sales in China fell 31% in the third quarter, Autoblog reports, and the company says it will keep investing in China while planning more money for the US to grow annual sales there.

The slump is cutting into profit. Mercedes says the margin on its car business, adjusted return on sales, slid to 2.5% from 4.8%. It lowered its full-year forecast to a range of 2-3%, down from 3-5%.

A China reset, and a US target

Mercedes says it is going through its whole China operation, covering the cars it offers, how it sells them, where it builds them, and the software, parts supply and technology inside them. A new strategy is due in 2027.

CEO Ola Källenius said the electric E-Class, due in the second half of 2027, will be the first car for which nearly all content is bought in China for Chinese production. Autoblog notes this covers cars built for China, and nothing in the reporting suggests it alters the cars sold in the US.

For the US, Källenius said Mercedes plans more investment and sees room to grow yearly sales from above 300,000 vehicles toward 400,000, according to Reuters.

What Mercedes hasn't said

Mercedes has not disclosed what the planned US investments will include, or whether the push will bring more incentives for buyers. It has not given a price for the electric E-Class in China or anywhere else.

Used Mercedes listings stay deep

In listings we tracked through Nov. 2, 1,921 used Mercedes-Benz cars are for sale, with a median asking price of $137,000. Nothing in the reporting ties the China news to US used prices.

To find cars priced below fair value, start with Mercedes-Benz deals. You can also search every Mercedes-Benz for sale with the best deals first.

Sellers who have already lowered their price are easiest to spot among cars cut in the last 30 days, and today's best deals across every brand show how Mercedes prices compare.