So who are taking in the biggest losses?
The upper premium sedans are suffering large sales losses in Europe due to a combination of pressure from new large SUVs and crossovers, a falloff in demand for some electrified models and the fact that sportier body styles are outpacing traditional limousines.
Biggest Losers?
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class was still leading the segment in the region through May despite sales dropping 22 percent, according to figures from market researcher JATO Dynamics. Also losing sales was the third-place BMW 7 series, down 9 percent, while the Porsche Panamera fell to fifth after a poor five months during which sales slid 31 percent.
One of the biggest losers, however, was Tesla, which saw sales of the Model S sedan drop 52 percent which is likely a result of buyers switching to the new, smaller Model 3 sedan. As a result, the Model S, the segment leader in 2017 and 2018, dropped to sixth place.
Biggest Sales?
The most impressive growth in the segment came from the Mercedes CLS, a coupe-styled four-door sedan that was renewed in 2017. Its sales of 4,689 were up 76 percent and put the car into second place in the segment. Sales of Audi’s A7, in contrast, fell 1.7 percent to place it fourth ahead of the Panamera.
BMW, meanwhile, is phasing out its rival to the CLS, the BMW Cran Coupe, and replacing it with the 8-series version, which will go on sale in September. The 8 series follows the lead of the Mercedes CLS in offering a four-door version with a full five seats for the first time, instead of just four. That is expected to make the car more appealing to those who might have previously gone for the more traditional limousine.
