Mercedes-Benz marked 2009 as their "best year ever" in China with sales in the mainland soaring 77 percent to 68,500 vehicles, German-U.S. auto giant Daimler Chrysler said Tuesday.

The locally produced C-Class cars became the best-selling model, totalling 16,000 units in 2009, up 156.3 percent on 2008.

Sales of Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles in China set a new monthly record of 9,350 units in December.

"China became the fourth-largest market for Mercedes-Benz in the world," said Klaus Maier, president of Mercedes-Benz China.

Despite the far-reaching international economic crisis, Mercedes-Benz sold nearly 15,000 S-Class cars in China last year, making the country the largest market for the luxury flagship model, while the sales of SUV series added up to 15,800 units, said the company.

The company also said 2009 was the best year for Mercedes-Benz since it came into the Chinese market more than 20 years ago.

German automaker Volkswagen AG said its 2009 sales in China rose 36.7 percent to 1.4 million vehicles.