• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • Get the Latest about New Cars, EVs and More with the Headlight News Podcast
  • Order Up! Tesla Opens Order Books for the Tesla Semi
  • Detroit Automakers Reinstating Mask Mandates as COVID Surges
  • BMW Offers Up Official “Spy Shots” of Plug-In XM SUV
  • Court-Appointed Monitor Sets Schedule for UAW Elections
  • The Rearview Mirror: The Car That Begat Automotive Safety Laws
  • Mercedes Issues “Do Not Drive” Recall for 292K Vehicles
  • Targeting Tesla, VW CEO Says EVs are More Profitable Than First Forecast
  • Toyota Cuts Profit Guidance as Costs Continue to Rise
  • Honda Adds a Sport Trim to Odyssey Line for New Model Year
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • First Drive: 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 300
    • First Impression: 2023 Nissan Z
    • A Week With: 2022 Lexus LC 500 Convertible
    • A Week With: 2022 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Crew Cab
    • First Drive: 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning
    • First Drive(s): 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate and AT4X
    • A Week With: 2022 BMW i4 M50
    • A Week With: 2022 Mazda CX-5
    • First Drive: 2023 Kia Sportage
    • First Drive: 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automakers > BMW Takes U.S. Luxury Sales Crown for 2020

        BMW Takes U.S. Luxury Sales Crown for 2020

        Lexus also passes Mercedes in the battle to finish second.

        Joseph Szczesny
        Joseph Szczesny , Executive Editor
        Jan. 11, 2021
        The 2020 BMW X3 xDrive30e offers performance and style in a very attractive wrapper. The company took the top sales spot for luxury automakers in the U.S.

        Depending on how you count, BMW appears to have to emerged as the best-selling luxury brand in the United States, pushing past archrival Mercedes-Benz, which fell two spots to third place.

        In the fourth quarter of 2020, BMW brand sales totaled 98,750 vehicles, only a 2% decrease from the 100,797 vehicles sold in the fourth quarter of 2019, for the full year 2020, BMW brand sales dropped 17.5% on total sales of 278,732 compared to the 338,003 vehicles sold in 2019.

        Lexus sold a total of 275,041 passenger cars and utility vehicles moved into second place, nosing out Mercedes-Benz. For the full year, Lexus sales dropped 8.3% in 2020.

        (BMW ‘significantly increasing” electric vehicle production.)

        Mercedes-Benz USA reported sales of 78,078 vehicles during the fourth quarter. On a full-year basis, MBUSA recorded sales of 274,916 Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles as fell behind BMW. In addition, MBUSA also sold 50,999 Mercedes-Benz vans, which include some luxury vehicles and commercial vehicles, bringing MBUSA’s total sales to 325,915 units, a decrease of 8.9% versus 2019.

        Lexus rode its utility-vehicle sales to a second-place finish in the luxury segment for 2020, passing Mercedes-Benz.

        “There is no doubt that 2020 was a challenging year for automotive sales, but we have found that these challenges were due more to the circumstances, rather than consumer demand,” said Bernhard Kuhnt, president and CEO, BMW of North America.

        “We owe our dealers and regional teams a lot of credit for their flexibility and dedication while adapting to the situation. With their support we felt very confident throughout the second half of the year as consumer deliveries grew quickly — even exceeding own expectations.”

        Despite the challenges posed by the ongoing global pandemic, BMW brand sales in the U.S. improved significantly in the second half of the year – including several outstanding months – as the sales network reopened, production restarted, and inventory levels improved.

        The last four months of the year were particularly strong, owing much to increased production at Plant Spartanburg, which helped meet customer demand for top-selling models such as the BMW X3, X5 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles.

        (Mercedes launching six all-electric models by 2022 — with two to be built in U.S.)

        BMW and Mercedes have been trading the top position for the past several years, but Mercedes’ drop to third position. However, the brand expects to be back on top in short order with an influx of product.

        Mercedes may have slipped two spots in 2020, but it’s counting on a wave of new products to put it back on top in the U.S. in 2021.

        Dimitris Psillakis, president and CEO of MBUSA said, “We are excited to introduce nine new models in the months ahead, including the all-new S-Class and the EQS electric, and continue to leverage the natural market gravitation of SUVs.”

        In addition, sales of Mercedes-AMG high-performance models increased 29.1% to 11,128 units, which pushed the sub-brand to its best-year ever as sales increased 1.5% to 34,079 vehicles.

        Audi, the third of the popular German luxury brands, reported its sales dropped 4.8% in the fourth quarter and its sales for the full year declined 17% to 186,620.

        Volvo Car USA reported 14,244 cars sold in December, up 15.2% compared with 2019 and its seventh consecutive month of year-over-year growth. The company finished 2020 up 1.8% from last year with a total of 110,129 cars sold. The monthly result continued a strong upward trend, which saw the brand up 40% in December 2019 over 2018.

        “Given the challenges our industry faced this year, I am humbled by what our employees and retail partners were able to achieve together,” said Anders Gustafsson, senior vice president, Volvo Car Americas and president and CEO, Volvo Car USA.

        (End of year auto sales pick up due to pickups.)

        Sales by Cadillac, General Motors’ top brand, saw its sales drop 17.1% in 2020 to 129,495. GM executives are hoping the new Escalade will boost Cadillac’s fortunes in 2021. Meanwhile, Lincoln, Ford Motor Co.’s luxury brand, reported a 6.1% decline in sales to 105,410 units. Much like it’s Detroit-based competitor, it’s counting on its recently rounded out line-up of utes to grow sales in 2021.

        Recently Published
        Podcasts
        Headlight News Podcast Microphone

        Get the Latest about New Cars, EVs and More with the Headlight News Podcast

        Yesterday

        Order Up! Tesla Opens Order Books for the Tesla Semi

        Yesterday
        An employee in the body shop at Stellantis’ Detroit Assembly Complex – Mack plant inspects the body of a Jeep® Grand Cherokee L to ensure it is within specification before it goes to the paint shop. The Company invested $1.6 billion to repurpose two existing facilities and build a paint shop to create the first new assembly plant in Detroit in 30 years and bring 3,850 new jobs to the city.

        Detroit Automakers Reinstating Mask Mandates as COVID Surges

        Yesterday

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2022
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: