Mercedes-Benz recently announced that it was the best-selling premium brand in the world in 2017, for the second consecutive year. But now the BMW Group has hit back, saying that it was still the world’s best-selling premium automotive company.
Yes, it’s a brand versus group debate. The Mercedes-Benz brand delivered 2 289 344 vehicles in 2017, while the BMW brand managed 2 088 283 vehicles, some 201 061 units behind.
But the BMW Group (adding Mini, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad) reported total sales of 2 463 526, some 39 157 units ahead of the 2 424 369 vehicles registered by Mercedes-Benz Cars (including Smart, which totalled 135 025 units). However, adding sales from Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses (we unfortunately don’t have 2017 figures) would likely put Mercedes-Benz’s Daimler parent company back in front…
Still, despite Mercedes-Benz clinching the brand title, the Munich-based automaker says its brand sales hit an all-time high in 2017, growing by 4,2%. X-badged vehicles again proved key growth drivers, with sales up 9,6% compared to 2016. The 5 Series, meanwhile, achieved growth of 6,3% (for a total of 291 856 units) in the full year. The 1 Series was up 14,7% to 201 968 units, and the 7 Series up 4,5% to 64 311 units.
Some 103 080 electrified BMW vehicles were delivered to customers during the year, with the i3 contributing 31 482 units. BMW’s M division also hit a new sales record, with deliveries of M and M Performance vehicles up 19,1% to 80 795 units (12 293 of which wore M2 badges).
The MINI brand likewise achieved a new sales record in 2017, with 371 881 vehicles delivered (up 3,2% on 2016). Rolls-Royce sold 3 362 units (down 16,2%), while BMW Motorrad reported a 13,2% increase to sales of 164 153 units (also its most successful sales year ever).
