'Hoijangnim Cha' Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Korea Becomes One of the World's Top 3 Markets... 100,000 Units Sold in 20 Years

"South Korea, the 3rd Highest Sales Worldwide"

Mercedes-Benz announced on the 13th that its luxury flagship sedan, the S-Class, has achieved cumulative domestic sales of 100,000 units.

The first S-Class sold in Korea was the 2nd generation 560 SEL (W126). It was introduced as the "Korea's first imported car" following the import car liberalization policy in 1987. The official domestic launch took place in 2003 (4th generation release). Since then, as of the end of November this year, a total of 100,911 units have been sold cumulatively. This number includes all S-Class sedan models from Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Maybach, and Mercedes-AMG brands.

The 4th generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, officially launched in Korea for the first time in 2003 [Photo provided by Mercedes-Benz Korea]

Last year, the S-Class sold 11,645 units domestically, ranking 3rd among the best-selling imported cars. This year, from January to November, 8,378 units were sold, placing it 4th in imported car model sales.

In 2015, Mercedes-Benz Korea launched the top-tier luxury model, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, for the first time in Korea. This vehicle has sold 7,242 units to date.

Since 2016, Korea has become the third-largest market worldwide for S-Class sales. For the Maybach S-Class, Korea has ranked as the second-largest market globally since 2019.

The company explained that the reason Korea could become a key market is due to the brand loyalty of domestic customers. According to a survey conducted by Mercedes-Benz Korea targeting new car buyers from 2021 to 2022, domestic S-Class customers cited luxurious exterior design, product reputation, and comfortable ride as decisive factors in their purchase decisions.

Matthias Becht, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Korea, said, "The record of 100,000 units once again proves the heritage and high quality of the S-Class, as well as its symbolism as a luxury flagship sedan in the Korean market. We sincerely thank everyone who chose the S-Class, and we will continue to do our best to provide the best products and services that meet our customers' expectations."