Mercedes-Benz China Sales Jump 32 Percent

Mercedes-Benz sales in China jumped 32% year on year to 48,588 vehicles in July as the German luxury brand enjoyed strong demand for its long-wheelbase E-class sedan.

Meanwhile, Audi’s deliveries rose 10% last month from a year earlier to 51,235 vehicles as Volkswagen Group’s luxury brand rebounded from a dispute with dealers that had damaged sales for months, according to Automotive News China.

For the first seven months, Mercedes deliveries rose 34% to 341,267 vehicles while Audi sales declined 9.1% to 306,020.

In a written statement, Mercedes said the locally produced long-wheelbase E class “is especially popular” in China, although it did not disclose that model’s sales.

Mercedes, traditionally China’s No. 3 luxury brand by sales, has caught up to rivals BMW and Audi with a broad product range of city cars, crossovers, compact cars and long-wheelbase sedans.

Mercedes’ parent company, Daimler, is preparing to invest heavily in electric vehicles. In July, Daimler announced a 5 billion yuan ($735 million) joint venture with BAIC Motor Corp. to produce battery-electric vehicles by 2020.