Mercedes-Benz boosted sales twice as fast as BMW in the first quarter of 2016, moving the brand closer to grabbing the lead in the world's luxury-car market for the first time in a decade.
The Daimler luxury unit's brand deliveries soared 13% worldwide to 483,487 vehicles through March, data from the automaker showed last week, compared with a 6% increase to 478,743 cars for BMW Group's namesake brand announced in a statement on Wednesday.
Sales of third-placed Audi rose 4% to 455,750 in the first three months, the Volkswagen Group unit said.
Mercedes has declared it wants to overtake BMW by 2020, a goal it may hit early due to the popularity of all-new models, including the GLC SUV.
Sales momentum will probably accelerate during the second half, with the new E-class sedan, a key vehicle for the business market, hitting showrooms.
Mercedes was also helped in the first quarter by a 26% increase to more than 150,000 of its compact cars such as the A class.
BMW has an older product lineup by comparison, with key models, including its E-class equivalent, the 5-series sedan, not due for a refresh until next year.
Monthly tallies still put BMW ahead of Mercedes for March. BMW delivered 201,352 cars, a gain of 2.9%. Mercedes sales climbed 8.4% to 198,921 autos. Audi volume was up 4.6% to 186,100.
