German luxury automakers BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz are gaining customers at the expense of mass-market rivals with a flood of small cars that even penny-conscious buyers are willing to pay extra to drive.
During the six-year downturn in European auto sales, the BMW brand’s market share has climbed to 5.1 percent from 4.2 percent, Audi has risen to 5.7 percent from 4.2 percent and Mercedes is at 5 percent, up from 4.5 percent. PSA Peugeot Citroen, General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. have each lost more than 2 percentage points of share in that time.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Volkswagen AG’s Audi and Daimler AG’s Mercedes have remade the region’s competitive landscape by pushing into smaller cars.
Underscoring the upheaval, BMW and its Mini nameplate this year are on track to surpass Fiat SpA’s market share in Europe for the first time.
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