Mercedes-Benz finishes ahead of BMW at the end of 2016 in the U.S. luxury car race. The Stuttgart-based automaker took the 2016 U.S. luxury title even though its sales for the year declined, but the results were still strong enough to beat Lexus and last year’s winner, BMW.
Mercedes’ sales in the United States sales fell 0.8 percent to 340,237 in 2016, with December sales dropping 6.4 percent to 32,011 vehicles. Mercedes finished the year with a 16.8 percent share of the U.S. luxury market.
Second place went to Lexus, even though its sales slipped 3.9 percent to 331,228 vehicles. Lexus’ sales dropped 0.5 percent to 41,182 vehicles in December. The Japanese premium carmaker finished the year with a 16.4 percent share of luxury sales.
BMW finished a distant third in 2016 with sales slipping 9.5 percent to 313,174 vehicles. Sales fell 5.2 percent in December to 32,835. It finished the year with a 15.5 percent market share.
Audi’s 2016 U.S. sales improved 4 percent to 210,213 vehicles — good for fourth place.
Cadillac, Acura, Infiniti and Lincoln rounded out the next four spots in luxury sales.
Jaguar had the biggest annual gain – 116 percent – of all luxury brands last year, with U.S. volume rising to 31,243.
[Source: AutoNews]
