Despite BMW‘s best efforts, Mercedes-Benz sales through July rose at more than twice the rate of those of their Bavarian rivals, helping Merc to reclaim their global luxury sales crown, mostly thanks to sportier SUVs and luxury saloons.
Mercedes-Benz deliveries jumped 12%, reaching 1.17 million vehicles during the first seven month of 2016. In comparison, BMW only registered a 5.6% increase, putting them at a clear disadvantage – trailing Mercedes by more than 30,000 cars, as reported by Autonews.
New additions to the Mercedes-Benz range, such as the GLC and the all-new E-Class, are currently driving the automaker forward. BMW won’t refresh its E-Class rival (the 5-Series) until next year, and sales-wise, even its new 7-Series has struggled against the mighty S-Class – both in the US as well as Europe.
“It would appear to be inevitable that BMW is losing its lead this year,” said Stuart Pearson, an analyst for Exane BNP Paribas. “They’re at a weaker point in their product cycle.”
In the US alone, Mercedes sales (without Sprinter vans) fell 1% to 191,300 vehicles through 2016’s first seven months, whereas BMW sales dropped considerably by 8.4% to 179,213 vehicles.
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