Mercedes-Benz outperformed its main German rival BMW in the Chinese market in the first quarter.
Light-vehicle sales at Mercedes-Benz dropped 20 percent to 139,960 in the first three months, Daimler AG said last week.
“In China and South Korea, our dealerships are fully open and we see a significant increase in demand there,” Britta Seeger, Daimler’s management board member responsible for marketing and sales, said last week of the two markets where the coronavirus outbreak has been brought under control.
China deliveries for the BMW and Mini brands combined fell 31 percent to 116,452 in the period, BMW Group said, without divulging separate sales for the two brands.
Daimler and BMW no longer release monthly sales results. Another major German luxury brand, Audi, hasn’t disclosed sales for the latest period.
Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi maintained growth in China last year despite the ongoing contraction in the overall new-vehicle market.
Last year, deliveries at Mercedes-Benz rose 6.2 percent to 693,443 while sales at BMW brand jumped 13 percent to 691,002.
Audi, which remained the largest luxury brand in the market until 2018, trailed behind, with annual sales rising 4.1 percent to 690,083.
