As 2018 drew to a close, manufacturers were able to add up the figures and tell the world how they did in the past year. BMW announced that it recorded a slight increase in sales overall last year, while other manufacturers weren’t so lucky, Mercedes-Benz included. The Stuttgart-based car maker reported a drop in sales of 6.3 percent but that wasn’t enough to allow BMW to steal its crown as king of the premium segment in the US.
Over the course of 2018 BMW sales recorded an increase of 1.7 percent, adding up to a total of 311,014 units. Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, reported a total of 315,959 units. The battle is getting more heated though, as the BMW people seem poised to retake the crown which they lost some three years ago. As a matter of fact, BMW won in December, sales of the Bavarian brand adding up to 34,357 units whereas Mercedes sold 32,016 units. However, while the top two contenders are showing great numbers, others are not so lucky.
Lexus came in third overall posting a drop of 2.2 percent in sales, adding up to 298,310 units. Audi, on the other hand, showed a drop of 1.4 percent to 223,323 units. These changes are on par with the overall US luxury segment, which showed a drop of 0.3 percent for the year, the grand total rising to 2,027,312 units. In the rankings, Acura surprisingly overtook Cadillac last year, selling 4,232 units more than the American brand, adding up to a total of 158,934 units.
If you’re wondering which models are the most popular, SUVs are definitely topping the list. BMW’s X3 was its top-selling model in the US, followed by the X5. The two models combined added up to about 20 percent of overall sales in December. It’s the same in the other camp, with the Mercedes-Benz GLC being the best seller followed by the C-Class and E-Class models. Over at Porsche, the Macan is running things, followed by the Panamera.
