agent Entrepreneur logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Strong Mercedes Sales Have Yet to Move it Past Audi

June 9, 2014
1 min to read


Mercedes-Benz keeps delivering double-digit sales growth, but its overhauled line-up of luxury cars has yet to move it past German rival Audi, reported Reuters.


Deliveries of Daimler's flagship passenger-car brand rose 10.4 percent in May to a record 134,031 vehicles, helped by 30 percent growth in China, the company said on Friday.

Ad Loading...


That compared with 152,000 deliveries, or 10.8 percent growth, at Volkswagen's Audi which has outsold Mercedes every month this year.


Having eclipsed Mercedes in 2011 as the world's No. 2 luxury carmaker behind BMW, Audi sold 72,516 more cars than its Stuttgart-based rival in the first five months. Last year, the gap was 114,000.


But launches in March of Mercedes's new C-Class saloon and the GLA offroader may pave the way for a second-half turnaround, analysts say. Other recent overhauls include the top-of-the-line S-Class and the E-Class, both launched about a year ago.


"Mercedes will surpass Audi after the summer, that's when their refreshed lineup will take off," said Hanover-based NordLB analyst Frank Schwope.


The world's No. 3 premium automaker has a goal of pushing sales above 1.5 million this year, after 1.46 million in 2013.

Ad Loading...


By comparison, Audi is aiming to "clearly" exceed last year's record 1.58 million sales, while BMW is planning for deliveries of 2 million or more, after selling a record 1.96 million in 2013.

More Industry

F&Iby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 27, 2026

Price Driving Insurance Churn

Over half of insurance holders ages 18 to 29 reported to be 'somewhat' likely to change providers in the next 90 days, according to CivicScience, which found that interest was lower among older age groups.

Read More →
Industryby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 26, 2026

AI Drives Dealer Website Traffic

Total visits to dealer websites from generative artificial intelligence platforms grew more than 15 times year-over-year, signaling a shift in how many consumers shop for cars online.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellFebruary 26, 2026

Automakers Tops in Fuel Economy

In the U.S., Honda has the most efficient gas-electrified combo lineup while Tesla beats all automakers in annual EPA ranking as brands built their alternative-fuel offerings.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
F&Iby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 25, 2026

Report Finds Year-End F&I Strength

Deal volume ebbed and flowed throughout 2025, but product performance remained steady, according to automotive technology and data intelligence solutions provider StoneEagle.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellFebruary 24, 2026

Overall Consumer Confidence Up

Americans’ view of present business conditions, the labor market and family finances, though, are still in the dumps, and if they plan to buy cars, many target used units.

Read More →
Auto Financeby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 23, 2026

Auto Loan Forecast Bucks Market Trend

Auto loan originations rose over 6% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, but TransUnion predicts a slight decline in auto loan growth this year, making it an outlier in the company's overall lending forecast.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
F&Iby Hannah MitchellFebruary 23, 2026

Some Auto Brands Cheaper to Insure

A new top 10 list ranks the least expensive for average full insurance coverage on a clean driving record and high driver credit scores.

Read More →
Industryby StaffFebruary 20, 2026

Learn to Manage the Mayhem at Agent Summit

Rob Mancuso – president of Mancuso Automotive – will present a Keynote at the 2026 event.

Read More →
Fixed Opsby Hannah MitchellFebruary 20, 2026

Auto Recalls Sank Last Year

2025 Sedgwick data indicate that the number of vehicles affected fell to its lowest point in more than a decade.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Industryby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 19, 2026

Affordability Leads Top-Rated List

Edmunds’ editorial team tested 300-plus vehicles to help determine the Top Rated Awards for 2026, and one brand stood out with multiple rankings, including Best of the Best.

Read More →