Mercedes-Benz widens global lead

Mercedes-Benz widened its global luxury-car sales lead in the first half of the year, setting back BMW chief executive Harald Krueger’s effort to reclaim the segment’s top spot.

The Daimler brand sold 1.14m cars in the six months through June, 14% more than a year earlier, on soaring demand for its revamped E-Class saloon and trendy sport utility vehicles. BMW, which is only beginning to expand its SUV offering and renew an aging lineup of saloons, lagged behind with a 5.2% gain to 1.04m vehicles.

Even though BMW says it is putting profit before volume, Mr Krueger has vowed to win back the luxury-car sales crown with the biggest product offensive in the company’s history. Last year, Mercedes overtook BMW for the first time in more than a decade with a fresh lineup and some all-new models, including the GLC coupe SUV, that have attracted younger buyers.