German automaker Mercedes-Benz sold 6% fewer vehicles in the first quarter of the year than in the same period last year, the company reported on Wednesday.
During the quarter, Mercedes-Benz sold a total of 568,400 vehicles.
The decline was led by an 8% drop in sales by the passenger car division, down to 463,000 vehicles, according to Mercedes-Benz. Sales of vans rose by 7% to 105,400.
The decline in passenger cars is mainly due to model changes and restrictions in the supply chain in Asia, which "temporarily dampened" sales in the first quarter, the Stuttgart-based Mercedes-Benz announced.
In China, a sharp 12% decline in sales was mainly due to the ramp-up of the long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz E-Class car, sales of which are expected to increase in the coming quarters, according to the car manufacturer.
Sales in China nonetheless accounted for more than a third of all Mercedes-Benz sales, at 168,900 vehicles. Like other German automakers, the Chinese market has become of major importance for Mercedes-Benz.
Mercedes also recorded a decline in all-electric passenger cars. At 47,500 units, sales in this segment fell by 8%. All-electric vehicles accounted for about one-tenth of all vehicles sold by the company in the first quarter.