Mercedes-Benz Cars remained the leading Australian luxury car market for four months from 2022, despite a sharp 19.6% drop in Mercedes-Benz sales compared to the same period in 2021.
The Stuttgart marque’s The local division has sold 8265 cars and SUVs this year, putting it ahead of its arch-enemy BMW car on sales of 7032, down 15.5%.
This shows that the transition of Mercedes to a new ‘agent’ business model whereby it owns inventory and nationwide pricing isn’t necessarily the existential threat some billers.
Regular luxury brand in third place Audi was usurped by Teslasold 4469 vehicles as of the end of April – far ahead of any other electric car maker.
Whether Tesla is considered a luxury brand largely depends on perception, but we’ll include it here because of the price.
By contrast, Audi sold 3,749 vehicles, down 34% due to a lack of supply – which affects all brands, but some more than others.
Following in the footsteps of Audi is Volvo, with sales of 3477, which translates to 1.9% growth. The Swedish-Chinese brand brought Lexus (Sales 2640, down 21.7%) in its rearview mirror.
Jaguar Land Rover sold 2059 cars, down 23.7%, ahead of Porsche only two: sales of 2057 vehicles, up 19.5% and bucking the trend.
Some of the wanderers include Mini (Sales of 878, down 20.5%), Genesis (258, up 101.6%), Polestar (208 sales, new to the market), Alfa Romeo (Sales of 193 units, up 4.9%), and Maserati (188, up 6.8%).
| Brand | Sales from January to April | Change % | Top Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz | 8265 | -19.6 | GLC |
| BMW car | 7032 | -15.5 | X3 |
| Tesla | 4469 | NA | Model 3 |
| Audi | 3746 | -34.0 | Q5 |
| Volvo | 3477 | 1.9 | XC40 |
| Lexus | 2640 | -21.7 | NX |
| Jaguar Land Rover | 2059 | -23.7 | Defender |
| Porsche | 2057 | 19.5 | Macan |
| Mini | 878 | -20.5 | Hatch |
| Genesis | 258 | 101.6 | GV70 |
| Polestar | 208 | NA | 2 |
| Alfa Romeo | 193 | 4.9 | Stelvio |
| Maserati | 188 | 6.8 | Levante |
Tourist car
The industry sales database VFACTS classifies passenger cars as cars, sedans, coupes, convertibles, wagons, and passenger cars.
Tesla dominates the market in this area, with the Model 3 (4469) being one of the most popular passenger cars overall, surpassing Mercedes-Benz (2958), BMW (2782) and Audi (936).
SUVs
Mercedes-Benz leads in SUVs with sales of 5307 compared to the beginning of the year, ahead of BMW (4250), Volvo (3304), Audi (2813) and Lexus (2245). SUV specialist Land Rover sold 1788 units during this time period.
The best selling models
Only two of the top 10 luxury models are sedans, including the best-selling Tesla Model 3 and ninth-ranked BMW 3 Series.
The rest are all small or mid-size SUVs.
| Model | Sell | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | 4469 | NA |
| Volvo XC40 | 1656 | 16.3 |
| BMW X3 | 1533 | 7.3 |
| Mercedes-Benz GLC | 1409 | 20.3 |
| Volvo XC60 | 1400 | 1.9 |
| Lexus NX | 1230 | 9.8 |
| Audi Q5 | 1173 | -3.1 |
| Porsche Macan | 1088 | 21.3 |
| BMW 3 Series | 1000 | -16.9 |
| Audi Q3 | 975 | -54.5 |
Top models for every premium segment
- Light cars: Small cellar (429)
- Small cars: Mercedes-Benz A-Class (972)
- Average car: Tesla Model 3 (4469)
- Big car: Porsche Taycan (218)
- The major car lines on: Mercedes-Benz S-Class (74)
- People Motivation: Mercedes-Benz V-Class (161)
- Sports: BMW 4 Series (265)
- Super sports: Porsche 911 (157)
- Small SUVs: Volvo XC40 (1656)
- Midsize SUVs: BMW X3 (1533)
- Large SUV: BMW X5 (913)
- Large SUV: Mercedes-Benz GLS (208)
