On Friday, Daimler AG's luxury car unit, Mercedes-Benz said that its first-quarter sales in mainland China soared 112% year on year to 23,610 units, making China its fastest-growing market globally.

Mercedes-Benz said on its website that in March, sales of Mercedes-Benz, smart, AMG and Mayback cars on the Chinese mainland rose 62% from previous year to 8,280 units.

Official reports have revealed that two Daimler divisions pleaded guilty to breach and violations of the U. S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act as a part of a deal with the prosecutors to try and resolve all the allegations that the German manufacturer of cars paid major bribes to foreign officials.

Following reports cited in newspaper regarding the replacement of stockholdings of Renault SA with Mercedes owner Daimler AG, the shares of the former elevated in early trading on the Paris stock exchange.

Reaching highest since February, the shares increased to 2.1% to Euro34.28 and Daimler in Frankfurt climbed to 1.2% to Euro33.72.

With a view to further its electric car production plans, German automaker Daimler AG Tuesday announced its acquisition of a nearly 10 percent stake in California-based electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc. As an inclusive part of the stake deal, Herbert Kohler - Daimler's VP - will take a seat on Tesla's board of directors.

In its attempt to raise cash amid the deepening economic crisis and also to gain a long-term shareholder, Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler AG - the manufacturer of Mercedes Benz cars - has struck a deal with the Abu Dhabi state investment fund Aabar Investments PJSC, whereby it will sell a 9.1 percent stake for 1.95 billion euros.