BMW overtakes Mercedes to becomes world’s largest premium carmaker

The month of August has seen healthy sales for Germany’s three major luxury marques, with BMW managing to take top spot as the world's largest premium carmaker for the month. BMW’s sales grew 11.1% to 85,003 units but when combined with sales of its Mini brand, this figure jumps to 99,755 units. Audi only sold 66,400 and Mercedes-Benz, even with its tally for the Smart brand, managed to move only 96,200 vehicles.

The rise in sales for the Munich-based carmaker is credited mainly to the strong performance of its X5 SUV, which benefited from new diesel models, as well continued success of the Mini (up 24%). Mercedes also did exceptionally well on the back of strong demand for its new C-Class, Reuters reports.

Strong sales is definitely a positive for any carmaker but with even more models scheduled to hit showrooms in coming years, we wonder if BMW will be able to maintain its exclusivity. Entry-level luxury cars from brands like Mercedes and BMW are becoming the norm in Western markets and are losing much of the cachet they once held.