As demand for the new E-class and SUVs rose, Mercedes-Benz took the lead in the luxury-car sales segment, its sales rose up to 11% in June. As we know for years, BMW, Audi and Mercedes have always been competitors to each other, being three most well-known and trusted German automakers. For so many years the first sales spot between them has been taken by BMW, and only know Mercedes was able to outrun it.
Sales of BMW brand vehicles rose 2 percent to 192,873 last month, while third-placed Audi saw sales rise 1 percent to 170,650. Through June, Mercedes sold 1.14 million cars, 14 percent more than a year earlier. BMW, which is has started to expand its SUV offering and renew an aging lineup of sedans, lagged behind with a 5.2 percent gain to 1.03 million vehicles. Audi registrations fell 4.7 percent to 908,950. BMW sold 106,244 fewer vehicles in the first half than Mercedes, versus a difference of 89,818 cars in the five months through May. Although BMW says it is putting profit before volume, CEO Harald Krueger has vowed to win back the luxury-car sales crown with the biggest product offensive in the company's history. Last year, Mercedes overtook BMW for the first time in more than a decade with a fresh lineup and some all-new models, including the GLC coupe-styled SUV, that have attracted younger buyers.
Audi continued to be dogged by parent Volkswagen Group’s diesel-emission cheating scandal and a dealer dispute in its biggest market, China. The automaker is counting on its fourth-generation A8 flagship sedan, unveiled in Barcelona on Tuesday, to help put it back in the race.
