The Mercedes-Benz CLA remains as the three-pointed star marque’s best-selling luxury vehicle in the U.S. However, the supply for the variant remains tight. Daimler boss Dr. Dieter Zetsche himself said that they could have sold twice as many vehicles easily if it weren’t for supply constraints.
As a remedy to the problem, Dr. Zetsche revealed that the U.S. will get additional CLA units. He stated that there would be an increased allocation in the area, but he wouldn’t reveal the specific figures.
Executives in the Mercedes division admitted that their current supply for the CLAs at U.S. dealerships were only good for fewer than 10 days. So, the decision of Daimler for more allocation of the range in the region would hopefully ease the demand soon.
According to the information released by Automotive News Data Center, 2,310 units were delivered to customers in September 2013, when the car initially went on sale. The highest sale between its release in the market and last month came in October 2013 with 4,895 units sold.
After that, sales consistently declined in number from November 2013 leading to May 2014. November 2013 sold 3,623 units, and May 2014 only had 1,214 cars sold. This can be attributed to supply issues. The numbers picked up steadily in June 2014 with 1,658 CLAs sold, and the month of August 2014 that saw 2,722 of the cars sold.
One of the key factors that makes the CLA a favorite in the U.S. is its price. Notably, the starting price of the car is $30,825, including shipping. This makes it more attainable to buyers compared to the other classes of the German brand.
The upcoming GLA compact crossover is expected to garner the same level of demand with the CLA when it comes out. The Daimler chief promised to do everything they can with the CLA and GLA to avoid having their customers wait too long.