Mercedes, BMW expect to beat last year’s record U.S.

BMW showed off the concept version of its new 4 Series coupe at the Detroit Auto Show on Monday.

Dan Eaton
Staff reporter- Business First

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Luxury car companies have been some of the biggest gainers in the rebounding auto industry in the past three years.

This is good news for Acura, which Honda Motor Co. (NYSE:HMC has been working to grow in recent years. The bad news is that the competition isn't resting.

While Acura's spotlight will come Tuesday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the luxury world's two biggest names took the stage Monday.

Mercedes-Benz rolled out its new midsize E-Class family of vehicles, including a sedan, coupe, wagon and cabriolet (convertible. The E Class is the German automaker's second-best seller, trailing the lower-priced C-Class, and contributed the company's best-ever U.S. sales of more than 274,000 vehicles in 2012.

Mercedes Chairman Dieter Zetsche said he expects a record 2013, bolstered by the new E-Class releases, as well an improved S-Class line and entry-level CLA aimed at younger buyers, much like Acura is doing with its entry-level car, the Greensburg, Ind.-made ILX.

BMW, the second-best-selling luxury brand in the U.S. , revived its key line, the 3-Series, last year, which helped boost the company to best-ever U.S. sales with more than 340,000 vehicles sold. The 3-Series accounts for half of all BMWs sold in the U.S., BMW North America CEO Ludwig Willisch told the Detroit crowd Monday. It's the top-seller in the entry luxury segment.

BMW, which runs a 500-worker financial services operation in Hilliard, released 14 new vehicles last year to help power those sales and plans another seven this year, including the i3 electric and the M6 Gran Coupe. Willisch also noted that U.S. production in South Carolina is up 90 percent in the last two years and passed 300,000 vehicles for the first time in 2012.

Dan Eaton covers retail, restaurants, manufacturing, automotive and the advertising/PR industry for Business First.

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