Daimler AG (DAI)’s Mercedes-Benz, guarding its U.S. luxury-auto sales lead, is letting some buyers skip more monthly payments than Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) and offering as much as $5,000 discounts to “VIP customers.”
Mercedes introduced a program for 2012 models sold through this month that included cash offers and special lease deals, according to an Oct. 2 memo to dealers. The Stuttgart, Germany- based automaker in an Oct. 5 e-mail to dealers also announced a promotion for the month that lets some current Mercedes owners forgo as many as five payments.
Mercedes leads BMW by 5,221 sales in the U.S. through this year’s first nine months. Weak demand in Europe is spreading to Germany and deliveries in China slipped for the first time in eight months in September. Those markets’ struggles are putting more pressure on Daimler and BMW in the U.S.
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