Mercedes in the fast lane, leaves BMW behind in US luxury car sales
Daimler AG is coping with the coronavirus pandemic’s disruption to the US luxury-car market better than its German rival, registering half the magnitude of sales decline BMW AG sustained in the first half of the year.
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Sales at Daimler AG’s luxury brand fell 14% in the first six months compared with BMW’s 28% plunge. After posting much better second-quarter numbers on Wednesday, Mercedes leads BMW by almost 18,000 vehicles.
Mercedes is benefiting from a refreshed lineup, with the automaker having given a face lift to its top-selling GLE and GLC crossovers in the past year. Sales of the three-row GLS SUV also jumped 36% in the second quarter. Virus-related lockdowns in key luxury markets including New York, New Jersey and California were still a challenge for all premium brands.
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BMW, which won the US luxury sales crown last year for the first time since 2015, said sales of its big three-row SUV, the X7, slumped 38% in the second quarter, while deliveries of its mid-size X3 crossover fell 45%.
US sales for Audi, the luxury division for Volkswagen AG, fell 35% from April through June and were down 25% for the year. Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus sales fell 35% for the quarter and 21% in the first half.
