Apr. 13, 2012 (China Knowledge) - Daimler AG's luxury car unit Mercedes-Benz unit sold a record 54,720 vehicles in China in the first quarter of this year, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 24%, due to strong sales of flagship S-Class vehicles, said Mercedes-Benz in a statement.

In March, Mercedes-Benz delivered 19,080 units of Mercedes-Benz, Smart, AMG and Maybach in China.

Last month, the sales of S-Class vehicles reached 3,420 units, taking the total sales of S-Class sedans in the first quarter to 13,400 units.

The sales of China-made E-class and C-Class sedans rose 24.4% in March and 36.4% in the first three months. The Smart model saw its sales double to 4,760 units in the first quarter.

In 2011, Mercedes-Benz unit sold a record 198,520 vehicles in China, 35% more than in the previous year, according to an earlier report from China Knowledge.