The European limousine segment continues its strong growth curve which is fueled by model changes of a few major players in the segment. The newly one-year old Mercedes-Benz S-Class accounts for 85% of the growth of the segment all by itself, and almost all of the growth when combined with the segment’s number two, the Audi A8.

As a result, the S-Class commands a whopping 42% share of the segment, two-and-a-half times as much as its nearest competitor. The rest of the ranking is completely stable in the third quarter, with the recently refreshed Audi A8 in second place and the Porsche Panamera completing the podium, as it did last year. Until the introduction of the Mercedes-Benz S500 plug-in hybrid, Porsche will be the only brand in this segment to offer a plug-in hybrid model.

The BMW 7-series is stuck in fourth place, where it’s likely to finish the year. That would make 2014 the first year ever that the 7-series is not in the top-3 of the limousine segment. The big Beemer is likely to shoot back up to the top of the ranking in 2016 when the new generation hits the market. [Read more…]

Car sales in the limousine segment in Europe are up a whopping 44% in the first quarter of 2014 after a 19% decline for the full year 2013. And although 7 out of 13 nameplates in the segment show an increase of sales, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class takes almost 85% of the segment growth just by itself, thanks to the new generation introduced last year.

The S-Class is the clear leader of the segment, selling more than double of the second placed Audi A8. The A8 has leapfrogged both the Porsche Panamera and the BMW 7-series as it was only in fourth position by the end of 2013. The update of the A8 has helped the model to a 21% increase of sales.

The Plug-in hybrid version of the Panamera is likely to have helped the Porsche increase its sales by 27% compared to the same period last year, helping it stay on the segment podium as 7-series sales are down 17%. [Read more…]

The limousine segment in Europe is down 19% in 2013, and the ranking is shuffled as buyers in this segment tend to be sensitive to having the freshest model on the market. Image is an important factor when you are paying north of 100.000 euros for a luxury sedan. The German premium brands traditionally rule this segment, and in 2013, 86% of limousines sold in Europe are German. This is by counting Rolls Royce as a British brand, despite its BMW ownership.

The newly introduced Mercedes-Benz S-Class is up 20% for the full year, but up a much more impressive 214% for the last five months of the year, when the new generation became widely available. The S-Class sold more than 1.000 units per month for each of the last four months and should be able to build on this excellent performance in 2014, increasing its lead on its rivals even further. [Read more…]

The luxury limousine segment in Europe is shrinking faster than the market, down 19% in the first three quarters of 2013 compared to the same period last year. Traditional leader Mercedes-Benz S-Class is back on top thanks to the new generation, at the half-year mark it was still in third position. It shouldn’t come as a surprise the German brands take almost 87% of this segment, as Germany is the largest market for these models, and like the premium midsize car segment and premium large car segment, buyers have a preference for their “own” brands, with one surprising exception

The top six enjoy more than half of their European sales in their home market: in Germany, Mercedes-Benz S-Class sells 56% of total European registrations, BMW 7-series: 50%, Audi A8: 53%, Porsche Panamera: 50%, but the limousine with the most homesickness is the VW Phaeton, a huge 86% of Phaetons are registered with a German license plate! That even beats the 65% UK sales of Jaguar XJ, the expected “winner”. As Italian large sedans usually are not so successful outside of Italy, you’d expect Maserati Quattroporte to be up there with the rest of them, but surprisingly, Quattroporte is the least dependent on its home market, only 29% of European sales are in the boot-shaped country. [Read more…]