Mercedes-Benz’s strong China sales has helped to push the pointed star ahead of its rival Audi in global sales for 2015 as the race for bragging rights as the world’s top-selling luxury automaker heats up. Sales of Mercedes-branded vehicles rose 13% to 1,871,511 cars, compared with a 3.6% jump to 1,803,250 vehicles sold by Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi last year.
Both automakers posted record sales in 2015, but Mercedes saw stronger growth in China, the world’s largest car market, where its deliveries jumped 33% to 373,459 vehicles.
Daimler has benefited from surging demand for its new C-Class midsize sedan, which saw sales jump 40% to 443,909 cars last year.
The C-Class has been in showrooms since March 2014, but the start of production of a long-wheelbase version in China in July 2014 has added further momentum to Mercedes’s fortunes in the country.
The launch of a new E-Class is expected to add further momentum, Daimler said. Mercedes is due to present the new E-Class at the Detroit auto show next week.
In contrast, Audi’s China sales slumped 1.4% last year, to 570,889 cars. Volkswagen’s flagship division is readying a lighter and more fuel-efficient version of the A4, which last year added a fifth to Audi’s global output.
