The upper class segment is the second-best performing car class in the US in the first three quarters of 2021, with sales up 21% in an overall market up 13%. This is a result of a very strong third quarter in which upper class sales were up 63%. And in turn this is a result of a strong showing of a single nameplate, as you’ll see below. Upper class sedans and coupes now make up 0.3% of the US passenger car market, up from 0.2% in the first half of the year.
If the Mercedes-Benz S-Class dragged down the entire segment in the first half of the year, it more than made up for it in the third quarter. Now that deliveries of the latest and greatest generation of the infamous nameplate have started, Mercedes-Benz dealers delivered a whopping 7,765 copies of their flagship sedan, compared to just 1,416 in the first half of the year. The S-Class held a 50.5% share of the class in Q3 and jumps from 5th place with a 66% loss after Q2 back to the top of the chart with a 38% year-on-year gain after Q3. That leaves the Porsche Taycan back into the #2 spot despite an impressive 149% gain on last year. In Q3, the Taycan was also outsold by the BMW 7-Series, but it holds a comfortable enough lead to be able to finish the year in 2nd place. The Taycan’s sibling Audi e-Tron GT has arrived in the third quarter and immediately outsold the Genesis G90 this quarter and lands in 8th place for the year. The Lexus LS is knocked back off the podium and was outsold in Q3 by the Porsche Panamera, albeit by just a handful of sales. The Audi A8 follows at #6 ahead, while the G90 is the worst performing remaining model at -19%, as the Cadillac CT6, Kia K900 and Jaguar XJ have reached the end of their life cycles.
US upper class sedan sales 2021 – Q1-Q3
| Upper class | 2021 – Q1-Q3 | 2020 – Q1-Q3 | Change | 2021 Share | 2020 Share | |
| 1 | Mercedes-Benz S-class | 9.181 | 6.630 | 38% | 28,4% | 24,9% |
| 2 | Porsche Taycan | 7.228 | 2.897 | 149% | 22,4% | 10,9% |
| 3 | BMW 7-series | 5.987 | 4.217 | 42% | 18,5% | 15,9% |
| 4 | Lexus LS | 3.312 | 2.283 | 45% | 10,3% | 8,6% |
| 5 | Porsche Panamera | 2.806 | 3.119 | -10% | 8,7% | 11,7% |
| 6 | Audi A8 / S8 | 1.762 | 1.673 | 5% | 5,5% | 6,3% |
| 7 | Genesis G90 | 1.266 | 1.559 | -19% | 3,9% | 5,9% |
| 8 | Audi e-tron GT | 462 | 0 | New | 1,4% | 0,0% |
| 9 | Cadillac CT6 | 172 | 2.972 | -94% | 0,5% | 11,2% |
| 10 | Kia K900 | 83 | 209 | -60% | 0,3% | 0,8% |
| 11 | Jaguar XJ | 24 | 1.017 | -98% | 0,1% | 3,8% |
| Segment total | 32.283 | 26.576 | 21% |
Source: Manufacturers.