JLR Jaguar Land Rover, the Tata-owned manufacturer of prestige sector cars, suffered a financial setback during its fiscal year ending March 31 this year 


  | BMW ends last year with largely unchanged profits, but turns up the voltage 
  | Audi full-year operating profits climbs to €5.06bn, margin hits 8.4%

BMW’s full-year 2017 automotive margin remains stuck at 8.9%, but its capital expenditure jumped 22.1 per cent to a record €7.1bn. “Our future” said BMW CEO Harald Krüger when presenting last year’s group results “is definitely electric”. For the current year BMW expects a slight rise in both deliveries and revenue, accompanied once more by an EBIT margin in the 8-10 per cent target corridor. The projected “slight increase in [2018] deliveries” is due to projected growth in China and the US in particular, the company said 


  | Audi full-year operating profits climbs to €5.06bn, margin hits 8.4%
  | For Mercedes, China still holds key to global prestige sector leadership

Audi, the historically fast-spinning profit dynamo for the autoindustry’s leading Volkswagen Group, in spite of stiff headwinds on the now closely monitored diesel front, performed well over the past year, particularly when considering that its ample Joint-Venture profits from China, whose prestige car market it has long dominated, are currently not included in its declared operating profit 


  | Audi, after hot 11th hour sprint, regains China’s prestige car sales crown
  | Audi hurt by toxic waves of Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal

Audi, taking a leaf out of Usine Bolt’s rule book for winning the top prize time and time again, may have started slowly in last year’s closely watched Chinese car sales year, but in sight of the finish line the Ingolstadt prestige car maker ended China’s full-year 2017 car sales race with a blistering hot finish, placing it for the year once more ahead of rivals Mercedes and BMW 


  | Mercedes already sold more cars in China than during the whole of last year
  | Audi claws back August prestige sector crown in China

Daimler’s high-flying Mercedes car subsidiary, the world’s leading seller of high-image prestige-sector cars, already sold more of its cars in China in the first 10 months of this year than it did during the whole of last year, yet the rate of growth is starting to slow


  | For Mercedes, China still holds key to global prestige sector leadership
  | Audi claws back August prestige sector crown in China

Daimler’s still high-flying Mercedes car brand, under fire from powerful volleys of competitive shots from compatriot prestige sector rivals BMW and Audi, nevertheless retained September’s and year to date position as the world's top-selling prestige car brand


  | Audi claws back August prestige sector crown in China
  | Mercedes, the calm before the storm?

Audi’s already harassed bigwigs have breathed a sigh of relief following a continuing rebound in the brand’s car sales fortunes in China, Audi’s biggest market. In spite of this year’s third monthly gain in a row, however, commentators remain unsure as to whether Audi - for the whole of this year - will be strong enough to dislodge Mercedes and BMW from their newly gained first and second position in China’s still buzzing prestige sector market. In China, at this year’s eight months stage, Audi still trails behind Mercedes and BMW, albeit by a gradually shrinking margin 


  | Mercedes, the calm before the storm?
  | Prestige sector car battle – Mercedes’ star still climbing

In Europe, auto-industry news is currently top of the media agenda, and much of it, at least for Germany’s leading carmakers, is depressingly gloomy. On the one hand there is seemingly endless flak aimed at diesels, while on the other there are potentially deeply damaging new allegations of yet another auto-industry cartel; this time among Germany’s leading carmakers


  | Prestige sector car battle – Mercedes’ star still climbing
  | Audi hurt by toxic waves of Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal

The prestige sector car brand best known for its star emblem has now been growing sales and market share for months on end. So much so in fact, that for Mercedes there appears no end in sight for the continuing flow of good news

  | Mercedes Cars, great strength, few problems
  | Audi hurt by toxic waves of Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal

Mercedes, Daimler’s luxury car arm, which first edged ahead again of arch-rival BMW during the course of last year, thus retaking the global luxury car sales crown, has continued to consolidate its coveted lead during the opening three months of this year. Mercedes’ lead over second positioned BMW at this year’s first quarter mark widened to nearly 60,000 sold cars after still running almost neck and neck during the same period last year


  | Audi hurt by toxic waves of Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal
  | Mercedes sets sights on global prestige sector crown and wins 4-years early

Describing this past year as the most challenging in Audi’s history, thanks in no small part to the toxic fallout from Volkswagen’s dieselgate affair and the related financial drain on the company’s resources, for the current year Rupert Stadler – Audi CEO – still offered a return to near normal profitability and a slight rise in unit sales. In short, the optimistic prospect of a return to business as usual. But in more ways than one, for Audi’s CEO 2017 already began on a sombre note


  | Mercedes sets sights on global prestige sector crown and wins 4-years early
  | 2016 winners are? – Prestige carmakers continue to steal mass-carmakers sales

BMW, which has long dominated the world’s lucrative luxury car segment together with its blue-blooded German compatriots Mercedes and Audi, completed yet another year with another set of records. And yet, for 2017 BMW promises more of the same. Almost three month into the current year, and no detectable heat loss, for 2017 upbeat BMW is promising new record highs for deliveries, revenues and earnings, accompanied firstly by its imminent intention to go “on the offensive” and secondly by launching its biggest ever new product blitz


  | Audi hurt by toxic waves of Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal
  | Mercedes sets sights on global prestige sector crown and wins 4-years early

Mercedes, the manufacturer of high-status prestige cars has last year comfortably recaptured the sales crown in the lucrative world of global prestige sector sales. Originally, Mercedes had set 2020 as the target for unseating BMW from its long-held global prestige sector throne. Worldwide, Mercedes also retained the coveted title as the fastest growing German prestige carmaker  


  | For Mercedes, BMW and Audi, this Christmas will be merrier than ever
  | Mercedes’ car profits take big hit as exceptionals take toll

With West Europe’s new car sales finally inching back to the 14m level last year, the autoindustry’s best turnout since pre-crisis 2007, the car sales gap between Europe’s hard-squeezed volume car makers and their still money-raking premium car rivals has continued to widen  


  | New car sales in W. Europe return to highest annual sales level since pre-crisis 2007
  | Europe almost back to pre-crisis car sales

Europe’s Luxury car sales party remains in full swing

The BMW Group sold more cars in November’s West European car market than mass market heavyweights Ford and Peugeot. According to AID’s provisional November car sales numbers, for Western Europe, BMW Group’s sales rose almost three times faster than the overall market, thanks in no small part to strong November sales push efforts in Germany and in the UK in particular  


  | Mercedes, at this year’s 11-months stage, sold more cars than during last year
  | November sales up 4.6%, on course for best sales since 2007

Conducting its global car sales business in just such manner, in the 11-months to November this year the brand with the three-pointed star already sold more Mercedes-badged cars than during the whole of last year.  


  | For Mercedes, BMW and Audi, this Christmas will be merrier than ever
  | Mercedes’ car profits take big hit as exceptionals take toll

For Mercedes, BMW and Audi, this Christmas will be merrier than ever

Figures compiled by AID show that this year’s global prestige sector car market, a highly profitable sector that Mercedes, BMW and Audi have almost made their own, remains on course for yet another all-time global sales record.


  | Mercedes’ car profits take big hit as exceptionals take toll
  | Europe fastest growing luxury car sales scene

PREMIUM BRANDS           
Mercedes’ car profits take big hit as exceptionals take toll

Second quarter pre-tax profits of Daimler’s Mercedes Cars operation, dragged down by the weight of €799m exceptional one-off charges, chiefly the cost attributable to the Takata recall and inventory adjustments, slumped 37 per cent to €1,410m from a still lofty €2,227m during the corresponding period last year



  | Europe fastest growing luxury car sales scene
  | Gloves are off at Mercedes – 2015 premium car production

PREMIUM BRANDS | AID EXCLUSIVE          
Europe fastest growing luxury car sales scene

Western Europe, described more often than not as the ‘old world’ and largely forgotten or side-lined at best when sketching out colourful future car sales scenarios, has of late surprised most professional market observers and the autoindustry no less by its sudden vitality



  | Mercedes sets another new milestone, outsells BMW in China
  | Mercedes dethrones BMW in global prestige car sales arena

PREMIUM BRANDS | AID EXCLUSIVE    
Mercedes sets another new milestone, outsells BMW in China

Testament to Mercedes’ strapping good health and likely harbinger of what the future holds in store, this April Mercedes set yet another major milestone. Continuing to strengthen its position in this year’s sharp elbowed Chinese premium car market - until fairly recently the main engine of profitability for Europe’s aristocratic old guard - this April Mercedes nudged aside China’s long-standing number two prestige carmaker BMW by the narrowest of margins. 

  | Mercedes dethrones BMW in global prestige car sales arena  
  | Gloves are off at Mercedes - 2015 car production

PREMIUM BRANDS | AID EXCLUSIVE
Mercedes dethrones BMW in global prestige car sales arena  

Daimler’s Mercedes luxury car unit, buoyed in near equal measure by its determined global car sales drive and the high on-going popularity of its latest status-rich cars, upset long-standing rankings by dethroning BMW as the long-reigning global prestige car sales king during this year’s first quarter

  | Gloves are off at Mercedes - 2015 car production  
  | China’s prestige sector rally fizzles out as year closes

PREMIUM BRANDS | AID EXCLUSIVE
Gloves are off at Mercedes - 2015 car production  

The stakes have been raised again in the tense game of poker being played over the future leadership of the world’s still lucrative market for high-status cars, and in particular over the future premium sector position of hard-challenging Mercedes.

  | China’s prestige sector rally fizzles out as year closes 
  | Star wars – Mercedes force awakens

PREMIUM BRANDS | AID EXCLUSIVE
China’s prestige sector rally fizzles out as year closes 

Figures from AID’s latest regular global prestige car sales monitor reveal that buyers of these higher priced prestige cars from top of the tree carmakers Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Porsche for instance appear to have lost at least some of their much-talked about appetite for these status symbols. AID tries to seek out and explain why the world’s previously sizzling prestige sector market has suddenly come off the boil 


  | Star wars – Mercedes force awakens
  | Mercedes heads global prestige sector car sales league for the third month running

PREMIUM BRANDS | AID EXCLUSIVE
Brand with the four rings kept dealers’ tills ringing, but fight on for future sector positions  

Audi – one of three outstanding winners in West Europe’s fiercely contested car market remains the old continent’s leading prestige car brand. But apart from the imminent fallout from Volkswagen Group’s fast spreading diesel emission scandal, rivals BMW and Mercedes in particular are piling on the pressure. Both made it obvious that they won't stand idly by and watch Audi grab more market share in Europe or elsewhere


  | Mercedes heads global prestige sector car sales league for the third month running
  | Mercedes confident to outsell Audi in 2015 global prestige sector car sales league

WESTERN EUROPE | AID EXCLUSIVE
In Western Europe Tesla Model S already breathing down the neck of Mercedes’ segment-leading S-Class 

Germany’s car makers, and prestige sector leading BMW, Audi and Mercedes in particular, received their second shock in little more than three weeks when AID compiled data for Western Europe revealed that in the nine months to September this year Tesla’s Model S has not only outsold previous sector heavyweights such as BMW’s outgoing 7-Series and Audi’s A8, but has also sunk its teeth into Mercedes’ top-notch S-Class

  | Tesla captures July’s West European electric car sales crown by narrow margin 
  | Switzerland’s rich dump conventional luxury saloons for Tesla’s Model S