Mercedes-benz Well Ahead of BMW in U.s. luxury car sales

Daimler AG is coping with the coronavirus pandemic’s disruption to the u.s. 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. Sales at daimler AG’S luxury brand fell 14 per cent in the first six months compared with BMW’S 28 per cent 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 facelift to its top-selling GLE and GLC crossovers in the past year. Sales of the three-row GLS SUV also jumped 36 per cent 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.