BMW AG, Volkswagen AG's Audi brand and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz unit were among a series of automakers doling out higher discounts to U.S. auto buyers in August, helping drive sales to the best month in eight years.
BMW, the biggest spender among the three luxury brands on a per-vehicle basis, boosted incentives by 45 percent from a year earlier, according to researcher Autodata Corp.
Promotional spending surged 30 percent at Mercedes and 71 percent at Audi, pacing an 18 percent jump for the total industry, the Woodcliff Lake, N.J.-based researcher said.
More aggressive incentive spending casts a shadow over an industry that is driving U.S. economic growth and entered the month having kept promotions in check.
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