Mercedes-Benz has reported the highest annual sales figure for 2017 out of the three top German brands, however, all three brands including BMW and Audi posted all-time high annual figures and set personal records.
Mercedes sold 2,289,344 vehicles in 2017, which is up 9.9 per cent on 2016 figures. The effort was the highest ever annual sales figure for the brand. And for the first time its AMG division contributed six-digit figures, reporting 131,970 sales, up 33 per cent.
The company’s commercial vehicle division added plenty of sales to the tally, perhaps skewing the results slightly compared with the rivals that don’t compete in the commercial sector. V-Class sales increased 25.7 per cent, adding over 58,000 units to the total figure, while the new X-Class ute added over 1900 sales. The ute is expected to see continued growth in 2018.
Sitting in second place, the BMW brand sold 2,088,283 vehicles, which is up 4.2 per cent on 2016. This excludes some of its other brands such as MINI and Rolls-Royce. It was also the best-ever year for the luxury brand, with its X vehicles (SUVs) jumping 9.6 per cent on 2016.
X vehicle sales could have been higher as there was limited availability for the new X3, which was launched in November. The 5 Series saw a sizeable jump in sales, growing an impressive 6.3 per cent on 2016. It contributed 291,856 sales. Other big-growers were the 1 Series (201,968 sales/up 14.7 per cent), and the 7 Series (64,311 sales/up 4.5 per cent).
BMW M vehicle sales rose 19.1 per cent, with over 80,000 sales reported for the first time ever. The BMW M2, which enjoyed its first full year on the market in 2017, added 12,293 units to the total. The launch of the M5 this year is set to see these figures jump again.
Rounding out the three, Audi reported 1,878,100 sales during 2017. This was up the least of the three brands, rising just 0.6 per cent on 2016. Despite the small increase, the effort was the highest annual figure it has ever achieved. It saw the biggest growth in the US, where sales rose 7.8 per cent for the year.
Audi saw big demand for its SUVs, with over 33 per cent of all Audis sold being an SUV. Sales of its Q vehicles (SUVs) jumped 10.8 per cent compared with 2016. The Q5 was the most popular, contributing 281,850 sales.
In Australia, Mercedes-Benz maintained its market stronghold. Sales hit 37,068, which is up 3.1 per cent on 2016. BMW came in second place, reporting 23,619 sales, down 15.7 per cent. Audi rounds it out with 22,011 sales, down 9.3 per cent.
