Mercedes-Benz led U.S. sales of luxury cars in April, solidifying its top spot ahead of Lexus and BMW. Deliveries rose 0.2 percent to 29,236 vehicles for Mercedes, fueled by a 45 percent surge for its GLC and GLK SUVs. Sales fell 7.4 percent to 24,882 for Lexus and declined at the same rate to 24,951 for BMW. Consumer’s appetite for luxury SUVs continues to grow. Sales of Lexus’s sport utility vehicles climbed 20 percent in April, including a 29 surge for the RX, the brand’s best-selling model. BMW reported a 9.7 percent drop for its SUVs.
Mercedes’s April gain extended its lead over Lexus through the year’s first four months to more than 5,000 vehicles. BMW is in third, after claiming the annual U.S. luxury sales title in 2015.
Audi said it posted its 64th consecutive monthly sales record in April, with sales rising 5.8 percent to 17,801 deliveries. The Q3, Q5 and Q7 SUVs led the way along with the all-new A4 sedan.
Volume jumped 33 percent at Volvo and 0.7 percent at Jaguar. But Land Rover posted its first monthly decline in sales since December 2014, snapping a 15-month streak of gains, with April volume off 2.3 percent.
Cadillac also had a big tumble, down 29 percent.
