Automaker Daimler's profit soars 41% on record Mercedes sales

German automaker Daimler's first-quarter operating profit surged 41% on the back of new model launches and record sales of Mercedes-Benz luxury cars.

The firm said that its overall adjusted group earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) jumped to €2.93bn (£2.09bn, $3.18bn), beating the €2.65bn forecast in a Reuters poll.

The group's stock was trading 1.74% higher at 10.42am in Frankfurt.

Return on sales from ongoing business at Mercedes-Benz Cars came in at 9.4% in the first three month of 2015, up from 7% a year ago, boosted by record deliveries of its passenger cars.

The roll-out of a new version of its popular C-Class sedan helped Mercedes-Benz Cars raise overall adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to €1.79bn, beating the €1.63bn poll projection.

Stuttgart-based Daimler, in a 28 April statement, said record deliveries in March in Europe, China and the US drove up quarterly passenger car sales to 459,708 models, exceeding 2014's high by 18%.

Analysts expect the momentum to continue with recent and forthcoming model launches, Reuters reported. Mercedes-Benz will push out several SUVs this year, including the all-new GLE coupe and the GLC model, a successor to the GLK compact SUV.

Daimler expects significant growth in revenue, EBIT and unit sales from ongoing business this year.

Daimler also sells trucks, buses and vans and is the first among Germany's three leading luxury automakers to put out quarterly earnings.

Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, commented: "Our growth strategy, our product offensives and our efficiency programs are paying off. We have already achieved a lot, we look to the future with great confidence, and we aim to achieve even more."