Daimler Targets Significant Profit Gain on Revamped C-Class

Daimler AG forecast 2014 profit will rise “significantly” as the new GLA compact sport-utility vehicle and redesigned C-Class sedan add to a push by the third-largest luxury-auto maker to overtake rivals in sales by 2020.

Earnings before interest and taxes from ongoing operations will exceed the 7.9 billion euros ($10.7 billion) posted last year as the owner of the Mercedes-Benz brand brings out new cars and trucks and expands in emerging markets such as China and Brazil, Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler said. Fourth-quarter profit on that basis surged 45 percent as customers scooped up the Mercedes CLA coupe and revamped flagship S-Class sedan.