All three major German luxury-car rivals continue to buck the downturn of China’s new-vehicle market, and Mercedes-Benz keeps outselling BMW and Audi.
In August, Mercedes sales in China rose 13 percent from a year earlier to 60,134, Daimler said.
BMW and Mini brands combined to deliver 58,911 vehicles last month in China, increasing 10 percent year on year. Sales of the BMW brand alone rose 9.4 percent in the month, BMW Group said, without specifying the volume.
Audi said its China sales gained 2 percent to 58,580 in August.
Mercedes has also topped BMW and Audi in China for the first eight months of the year.
In the period, Mercedes delivered 464,226 vehicles in China, up 4.1 percent from a year earlier.
Total sales of BMW and Mini brands jumped 16 percent to 462,934. BMW Group didn’t reveal separate volumes for the two brands.
Audi deliveries increased 2.4 percent to 427,447 in the period.
Mercedes is poised to widen its sales lead over its two main rivals in China by quickly expanding its lineup of locally built products.
The brand will assemble its first full-electric vehicle, first AMG performance car and an additional gasoline crossover at its joint venture with BAIC Motor Co. this year, according to BAIC.
The three products are the EQC electric crossover, the elongated AMG A35 and the GLB crossover.
Mercedes builds the GLA and GLC crossovers and stretched A-, C- and E-class sedans at the joint venture.
Local production enables a foreign carmaker to avoid paying tariffs at Chinese customs and modify products for local tastes.
