BMW, Audi, Daimler: sales down but not all bad

Three of Germany's leading carmakers, BMW AG, Audi AG and Daimler AG said Monday that sales fell in May compared to a year earlier, but noted that the slump in the auto market was not as bad as in previous months.

The three said demand had rebounded in some countries, suggesting sales could continue to improve in the year ahead.

Audi reported a 6 percent drop in sales in May, to 82,800 vehicles, while BMW saw an 18 percent decline to 109,042 vehicles. Daimler's Mercedes-Benz Cars booked a 12 percent drop to 97,300 vehicles.

"We were able to increase our market share in the premium segment in major markets such as the U.S. and Japan over the previous month," Ian Robertson, a BMW board member responsible for sales and marketing said in the company's report.

The Munich-based premium carmaker said its BMW brand sold 90,643 cars last month, down 18 percent from the 110,707 sold in May 2008.

The Mini brand saw sales fall 19 percent to 18,348 cars. Sales of the super-luxury Rolls-Royce brand declined 54 percent to 51 cars and BMW's motorcycles division saw a 12 percent decline to 10,172 motorcycles.

However, BMW said its BMW Z4, a new sports coupe on the market since May 9, has seen a robust 2,365 deliveries worldwide. The 7 Series limousine, the company's biggest sedan, sold nearly 3,400 units in May — a 1.5 percent increase. Meanwhile, the X6, an SUV-car crossover sold 3,625 units worldwide, a 109 percent improvement over May a year ago.

Audi, one of BMW's main rivals, said that despite its 6 percent drop in total sales, it is seeing leaps in demand in the Asia-Pacific region, with China racking up big gains.

The Ingolstadt-based company, a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, said it sold 82,800 cars in May, compared with 88,168 a year ago.

Audi said sales in the Asia-Pacific region were 24 percent higher, with 15,650 cars sold for the month. In China, the company saw a 28 percent increase in sales to 12,435 cars. South Korea and Australia also contributed strongly to sales for the region.

Sales also increased in several European countries, including Belgium, Italy and Switzerland, lifting market share to 3.9 percent in Europe excluding Germany, compared to 3.7 percent in May a year ago.

Sales in the U.S. fell more than 12 percent, but Audi added 2 percentage points to market share, bringing its portion of the premium segment to 8.8 percent.

"Demand for our A3, A4, and A5 core models is strong," Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi's board member responsible for sales and marketing, said in Audi's report. The three models include two-door coupes, sedans and station wagon models.

Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz cars division said its 12 percent decline in May sales belied an improvement in Germany and other regions.

The Mercedes-Benz cars division includes the brands Mercedes-Benz, Smart, Maybach and AMG.

Daimler said sales in Germany improved 11 percent for the month, delivering 25,600 vehicles.

Its new E-Class sedans and the A- and B-Class hatchbacks also contributed to the growth in sales. Around 5,300 customers bought an A-Class vehicle in Germany in May, — a 54 percent jump from a year ago. Deliveries of B-Class vehicles rose by 27 percent to 3,900 units. The ultra-compact two-seat Smart also recorded a 26 percent increase in May sales in Germany.

"We expect sales to receive a further boost in the coming months from the introduction of the new E-Class to other important markets such as China and the U.S.," said Klaus Maier, a sales and marketing vice president, on the overall sales situation.

Daimler said the Mercedes-Benz cars division posted record sales in China, up nearly 60 percent for the month to 5,200 units. Brazil reported an increase of 40 percent, and Canada a 17 percent increase. The group's sales in the U.S. however, declined more than 33 percent for the month.

Shares of BMW closed up 0.2 percent at euro28.04 ($38.98), Audi shares ended 0.2 percent higher at euro430, and Volkswagen shares were 2.9 percent higher at euro247.88. Daimler shares closed 3.4 percent lower at euro26.80 in Frankfurt.