Mercedes-Benz Cars sold 417,765 vehicles worldwide in the second quarter of 2026, according to Mercedes-Benz Group’s quarterly financial results. That was down 7.9% from 453,674 vehicles in Q2 2025, highlighting the pressure the automaker continues to face in China even as sales grew in several major Western markets.

The result was almost unchanged from the first quarter of 2026, when Mercedes-Benz Cars recorded 419,430 unit sales. Across the first six months of the year, the division sold 837,195 vehicles, 7% fewer than the 899,974 sold during the same period of 2025.

The headline number refers specifically to Mercedes-Benz Cars unit sales worldwide. It does not include Mercedes-Benz Vans, which is reported separately.

Mercedes-Benz Vans sold another 94,075 vehicles during Q2 2026. Together, the car and van businesses accounted for roughly 511,900 vehicles during the quarter when expressed using the rounded figures Mercedes-Benz used in its initial sales announcement.

Mercedes-Benz uses the term unit sales in its financial reporting. This should not be confused with production, vehicle registrations or revenue. The company's reported unit-sales totals also include vehicles from Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd., its equity-method investment in China, consistent with the methodology used in its financial reporting.

The distinction also explains why readers may encounter a slightly different number in Mercedes-Benz sales announcements. The company's initial Q2 sales release rounded Mercedes-Benz Cars sales to 417,800 vehicles, while its subsequent financial results reported the exact total of 417,765.

The geographic picture differed sharply across Mercedes-Benz's major markets.

Sales increased 4% in Europe compared with the second quarter of 2025 and rose 10% in the United States. Outside China, Mercedes-Benz Cars' worldwide unit sales were up 2% year over year.

China moved in the opposite direction. Mercedes-Benz reported a 30% year-over-year decline in Chinese car sales during the quarter. The company attributed the weakness to intense competition, subdued demand and ongoing model changes across its portfolio.

The contrast is important because China has historically been one of Mercedes-Benz's largest individual markets. Growth elsewhere was therefore not enough to offset the size of the decline there.

The same broad pattern was already visible in the first quarter. Mercedes-Benz Cars sales increased 7% in Europe and 20% in the United States during Q1 2026, while weakness in China pulled total global sales down 6% year over year.

One of the clearest areas of growth in the quarter was battery-electric vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz Cars sold 52,852 all-electric vehicles in Q2 2026, up 50.9% from 35,027 a year earlier. European battery-electric sales increased 87% year over year.

For the first half of 2026, battery-electric unit sales reached 97,110 vehicles, compared with 75,733 during the first half of 2025, an increase of 28.2%.

That growth did not translate into an increase across all electrified vehicles. Mercedes-Benz defines its broader xEV category as battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Total xEV unit sales declined 6.9% to 87,475 vehicles in the second quarter because plug-in hybrid sales fell substantially. The company's quarterly filing reported 34,623 plug-in hybrid sales, down 41% year over year.

The numbers therefore show two different trends within the electrified portfolio. Fully electric Mercedes-Benz sales expanded rapidly, while plug-in hybrid sales declined enough to pull the combined electrified total lower.

Mercedes-Benz is in the middle of what it describes as its largest product launch programme, covering more than 40 new models between 2025 and 2027.

The company said the new CLA and GLB were already contributing to sales during the second quarter. It also pointed to high order volumes for the electric GLC and additional launches including the electric C-Class, new GLE and GLS models and further AMG vehicles.

The product transition matters when interpreting the 2026 sales figures. Mercedes-Benz has specifically identified model changeovers as one of the factors affecting sales, particularly in China. At the same time, newly introduced battery-electric models have been contributing to stronger electric vehicle volumes.

Within the higher-priced portion of the portfolio, Mercedes-Benz said its Top-End segment represented 13.9% of global car sales in Q2. Its share for the first half of 2026 was 14.3%, within the company's full-year target range of 14% to 15%.

Mercedes-Benz Cars generated €22.99 billion in revenue during Q2 2026, down 4.9% from €24.16 billion a year earlier. Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes fell 26% to €909 million, while the division's adjusted return on sales declined to 4.0% from 5.1%.

Mercedes-Benz said the year-over-year earnings change reflected market pressure, particularly in China, as well as a less favorable model mix, product lifecycle effects and expenses associated with new model launches. Efficiency improvements partly offset those pressures.

Those financial figures measure something different from unit sales. Revenue represents the value generated by the business, while the 417,765 figure is a vehicle count. Changes in pricing, geographic mix, model mix and other factors mean revenue does not necessarily rise or fall at the same rate as the number of vehicles sold.

Mercedes-Benz's second-quarter results present a divided picture.

Overall Mercedes-Benz Cars sales fell to 417,765 vehicles, largely reflecting the significant decline in China. Yet sales increased in Europe and the United States, and the company's battery-electric business expanded by more than 50% year over year.

For the first half of 2026, Mercedes-Benz Cars remained below the previous year's overall sales level, with 837,195 vehicles sold compared with 899,974 a year earlier. The next phase of the company's performance will increasingly reflect the rollout of the new models introduced during its current product transition.