Mercedes-Benz sold the most premium vehicles in the United States in November, virtually ensuring its second consecutive win in the U.S. luxury race. Sales of the Mercedes GLC sport utility vehicle more than tripled while C-Class car deliveries held steady, giving the brand a 1.1 percent increase for the month to 30,363 vehicles.
Sales of BMW brand vehicles decreased 18.2 percent in November for a total of 26,189 compared to 32,003 vehicles sold in November, 2015. Year-to-date, the BMW brand is down 10.0 percent in the U.S. on sales of 280,339 vehicles compared to 311,398 sold in the first eleven months of 2015. Notable vehicle sales in November include the BMW 7 Series which increased 18.0 percent to 1,233 cars, the BMW X1 which increased 53.2 percent to 2,745 vehicles, and the BMW X5 which increased 18.4 percent to 4,693 vehicles.
Lexus’ sales slipped 1 percent to 29,050 vehicles. In November, Audi’s sales were up a total of 2.5 percent versus a year ago with 17,118 units.
Year-to-date, Mercedes U.S. sales slipped 0.2 percent to 308,226 vehicles. Lexus deliveries declined 4.3 percent to 290,046 and BMW’s dropped 10 percent to 280,339. Audi as year-to-date sales have jumped 2.9 percent to 187,018, “despite a tightening of the premium market,” Audi said in a statement.
With only one month to go, Mercedes leads Lexus in the U.S. by more than 18,000 deliveries and BMW by about 28,000. A Mercedes victory for the year would recapture the crown BMW claimed in the country in 2015 and 2014. The two automakers have held the top spot in U.S. premium sales since 2011, when BMW ended Lexus’s 11-year reign.
[Source: Bloomberg]
