Luxury

DAVE GUILFORD

Why Infiniti, Lincoln face the same challenge

2:51 pm U.S. ET | May 22, 2013
The luxury marque hasn't lived up to its dreams. In fact, there was talk that its parent company might kill it. Now with a dynamic new leader, it's trying to build buzz with a more exciting lineup.... Read More »

 

Daimler may sell company-owned German dealerships to cut costs

May 22, 2013 13:19 CET
Daimler may sell four company-owned Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Germany to cut costs and help close a profitability gap with rivals BMW and Audi. Daimler owns 98 Mercedes car showrooms that account for about half of its car sales in Germany, the brand's second-biggest market after the United States.... Read More »

 

BMW counts on new models to keep U.S. luxury lead

May 20, 2013 06:01 CET
Mercedes-Benz led the U.S. premium-brand sales race through April of 2013, but BMW of North America CEO Ludwig Willisch expects BMW to repeat as No. 1 for the year. Willisch says help is on the way in the form of three models debuting later this year: the 3-series GT crossover, 4-series coupe and a redesigned X5 crossover.... Read More »

 

Porsche says 918 Spyder will influence future models

May 16, 2013 13:21 CET
Porsche's says its 918 Spyder hybrid supercar, which begins production in September, will have a big influence on the automaker's sports cars of the future.... Read More »

 

Revamped Mercedes S class strives to set new luxury mark

2:00 pm U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
Mercedes-Benz is heralding the redesigned 2014 S class as a flagship that will set new benchmarks for luxury sedans with its packaging of technology, safety gear and opulence.... Read More »

 

Audi sales in China exceed BMW, Mercedes on demand for SUVs

May 14, 2013 11:04 CET
Audi saw the fastest sales growth among German premium marques in China last month after deliveries rose 13 percent to 38,710 vehicles in China and Hong Kong, the company said today. BMW, the world's largest premium automaker, reported an 11 percent gain in core-brand sales to 30,311 units, while Mercedes-Benz said brand sales increased 11 percent to 16,241 units.... Read More »

 

Mercedes extends U.S. luxury lead over BMW in April

2:03 pm U.S. ET | May 1, 2013
Mercedes-Benz extended its lead over BMW in the U.S. luxury sales race, with a 5.8 percent gain in April. Sales for the Mercedes brand rose to 23,635 in April, led by gains for the C-class sedan and M-class SUV. The BMW brand posted a 10 percent increase in April to 23,225, the company said today in a statement.... Read More »

 

Mercedes extends U.S. luxury lead over BMW in April

May 1, 2013 20:03 CET
Mercedes-Benz extended its lead over BMW in the U.S. luxury sales race, with a 5.8 percent gain in April. Sales for the Mercedes brand rose to 23,635 in April, led by gains for the C-class sedan and M-class SUV. The BMW brand posted a 10 percent increase in April to 23,225, the company said today in a statement.... Read More »

 

Nissan names ex-BMW China exec to head local Infiniti operations

May 1, 2013 06:01 CET
Nissan has named Daniel Kirchert, a former BMW executive in China, to head its luxury brand Infiniti in the country, as it seeks to expand production and dealerships in the world's biggest auto market.... Read More »

 

Daimler lowers 2013 profit goal after first-quarter earnings drop 56%

April 24, 2013 08:19 CET
Daimler cut its 2013 profit forecast after its quarterly earnings fell 56 percent, burdened by Europe's slump and weaker Mercedes-Benz sales in China.... Read More »

 

Mercedes, BMW, Audi chase young, female, frugal customers in India

April 23, 2013 12:11 CET
In an effort to raise stuttering sales in India that far lag emerging Asian rival China, Mercedes, Audi and BMW are targeting young and female buyers outside the ultra-rich classes with small locally made cars.... Read More »

 

Volvo CEO says making S-class rival would contradict brand's image

April 22, 2013 10:29 CET
Volvo won't develop a sedan to challenge the BMW 7 series, Mercedes S class and Audi A8 as it doesn't fit the carmaker's green image or the demands of its customers, CEO Hakan Samuelsson said.... Read More »

 

2013 SHANGHAI AUTO SHOW

Mercedes hits reset on China after sales drive falters

April 22, 2013 08:34 CET
Mercedes is accelerating its dealer expansion in China, streamlining sales and bringing out a number of new or revamped models in a bid to to fix past mistakes in the market that have contributed to a growing gap with premium rivals BMW and Audi.... Read More »

 

2013 SHANGHAI AUTO SHOW

Porsche vies with new Maserati as China grabs luxury limelight

April 22, 2013 06:01 CET
Porsche has debuted a revamped version of its Panamera coupe at the Shanghai auto show where it sought to outshine Maserati's all-new Ghibli as both carmakers seek to attract customers in a luxury China market that is predicted to keep growing strongly.... Read More »

 

Maserati Ghibli tests Fiat's push into luxury

April 19, 2013 20:53 CET
The Ghibli is an early test of Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne's efforts to squeeze more cash out of the Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands. Maserati faces a difficult balancing act to emulate the success of BMW, Daimler and Audi by rolling out more affordable models aimed at a broader client base.... Read More »

 

Fiat will add second shift at Maserati factory, report says

April 19, 2013 09:03 CET
Fiat will add a second shift at the Turin factory where it builds Maserati cars, a source said. Fiat is investing 1.2 billion euros in the luxury marque as it seeks to boost global sales from 6,000 last year to 50,000.... Read More »

 

YANG JIAN

Global brands are taking more control of China sales

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
When global automakers entered China, they had no idea how to sell their products here. To play it safe, they let managers from their Chinese joint venture partners oversee sales. Several years ago, they started to take control of sales. Lately, this trend has accelerated Yang Jian is managing editor of Automotive News China.... Read More »

 

Mercedes counts on CLA to regain luxury crown

April 13, 2013 06:01 CET
Daimler's effort to reclaim the crown of world's largest luxury carmaker is looking a lot like the 1980s with the Mercedes CLA compact that harkens back to the 190 'Baby Benz' sedan. The new model is designed to broaden the brand's appeal, especially in the United States and China.... Read More »

 

NEW PRODUCT

Ghibli will be Maserati's first diesel-powered car

April 9, 2013 12:44 CET
Maserati released images of the Ghibli four-door sedan ahead of the car's debut at the Shanghai auto show. The Ghibli will be the first Maserati production car to offer a diesel variant.... Read More »

 

SALES

BMW widens luxury-car lead over Audi as Mercedes gains momentum

April 9, 2013 13:15 CET
BMW widened its luxury-auto sales lead over Audi last month on demand for the 3-series sedan and X1 SUV, while the Mercedes brand gained momentum with new small cars.... Read More »

 

FINAL ASSEMBLY

Mercedes leads in luxury -- but it's early

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 8, 2013
In the first quarter, Mercedes-Benz jumped past BMW to hold an early lead in the 2013 U.S. luxury sales chase. But in March BMW outsold Mercedes by 2,432 units. So the luxury race this year is just warming up.... Read More »

 

For Cadillac, early signs of another renaissance

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 6, 2013
At his Houston Cadillac store last weekend, Carl Sewell had an unusual experience: He helped a mother secure a baby seat into a car she was considering. Young-shopper sightings were once a rarity for Sewell. Behind the new ATS sedan, which is helping draw a new type of buyer, Cadillac posted a 49 percent rise in sales last month.... Read More »

 

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE E-MAGAZINE

Audi CEO Stadler counts on SUVs to topple BMW as luxury leader

April 3, 2013 06:01 CET
Audi already knows how it feels to be global No. 1 in premium-car sales. The brand led in that category in January before falling back to second place behind BMW in February. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler plans on get back to the top and stay there by 2020 or sooner.... Read More »

 

SALES

BMW's March advance trims Mercedes lead in U.S. luxury race

April 3, 2013 06:01 CET
BMW reported a 13 percent U.S. sales increase in March, cutting into the luxury-auto lead of Mercedes as both brands set records for the month.... Read More »

 

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE E-MAGAZINE

Race for luxury lead heats up

April 2, 2013 06:01 CET
Audi and Mercedes are both vying to be the world's No. 1 luxury brand as the race heats up to topple BMW from the top position. The three premium giants not only want to lead with the most sales, but also in profitability and with the desirability of their products.... Read More »