2025 hasn’t necessarily been a great year for BMW, but the last 12 months have been even more difficult for its main rivals. Munich saw deliveries fall 1.4% to 2,169,761 vehicles, which was still enough to retain the luxury sales crown. Earlier this week, Mercedes announced a 9% decline to 1,800,800 units. Now it is Audi’s turn to report on the success of the past year.
The Four Rings brand recorded a decline of 2.9% in 2025, totaling 1,623,551 vehicles delivered. The Ingolstadt-based automobile manufacturer had to settle for third place, almost 550,000 cars behind BMW, while Mercedes ended up ahead with almost 180,000 units.
A closer look at electric vehicle sales shows that BMW is performing well ahead of its two domestic competitors. Although Audi electric vehicle deliveries rose 13% to over 223,000 units, that still wasn’t enough. BMW sold over 330,000 combustion-free vehicles in 2025. Mercedes took the last spot on the EV podium with just over half of BMW’s total sales of 168,800 vehicles.
When it comes to high-performance cars, BMW is once again ahead. The M division grew 3.3% to 213,457 units, including both M Performance and full-fat M models. Mercedes-AMG delivered 145,000 vehicles, 7% more than in the previous year. Audi Sport, on the other hand, ended the year with just 36,000 units, down 13% from 2024. However, it should be noted that only RS models count as Audi Sport products, while the more common S-badged cars are excluded.
Not surprisingly, all three brands suffered additional setbacks in China, the world’s largest auto market. BMW (including MINI) fell 12.5% to 625,527 vehicles, Audi fell 5% to 617,514 units and Mercedes fell 19% to 551,900 cars. The rapid rise of domestic brands offering ever more competitive products at much lower prices is taking a heavy toll on legacy automakers.
Lexus hasn’t released its 2025 sales results yet, but it’s highly unlikely to challenge German dominance. The brand sold 851,214 vehicles in 2024, an exceptional achievement as deliveries more than doubled. Toyota’s luxury division grew 103.3% year-on-year, setting a new record and cementing its position as the world’s fourth largest luxury brand.
