BMW Rises in US Luxury Segment as Lexus Fell

Last month, BMW brand outsold even Mercedes Benz in the US luxury segment , extending its lead at the top of the business. Strong demand for the 5-Series and SUVs helped the Bavarians grow by 13 percent to 21, 627 units in June compared to the same one of last year.

Mercedes also rose by 13 percent last month to to 20,652 in June while deliveries by Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus division fell 38 percent to 10,773. According to Bloomberg, MW looks poised to outsell Lexus in the US for a calendar year for the first time in 13 years, and nothing short of a miracle with stop this form happening. This means that the Germans will be free to battle at the top.

“They’re too far behind now to catch up,” Jim O’Donnell, head of BMW’s US operations. “There is very good momentum” for BMW, said Jesse Toprak, an industry analyst with Truecar.com, a Santa Monica, California-based website that tracks automotive sales. “I don’t know if Benz will be able to catch up.”

BMW is expected to finish the year with an increase of 12.5 percent, helped largely by the new 5-Series and the X3 compact crossover. In the second half of the year, US customers can also look forward to the xDrive 5-Series and the new 6-Series, which should arrive on the scene with both the 4.4-liter V8 in 650i and a straight-six engine under the bonnet of the 640i.

“That used to account for 25 percent of our 5 Series sales, so that will be a big lift for us in the last quarter,” O’Donnell said regarding the 528i xDrive,