Audi, BMW And Mercedes Struck By Low Demand From China

Sales of the BMW Group, which also includes the brands Mini and Rolls-Royce, fell by 4 percent to just under 2.5 million vehicles, the company announced on Monday. BMW was also hit hard by a major recall of some 1.5 million cars. This had a major impact on delivery figures, especially in China.

Rivals have similar figures, as has become apparent in recent days. Mercedes-Benz also sold fewer passenger cars last year, partly due to weaker sales in the important Chinese market. Global sales of passenger cars, including the luxury brands Maybach and AMG, fell by 3 percent to almost 2 million.

The Volkswagen Group is also feeling the fierce competition from Chinese car brands. Audi reported that deliveries fell by 12 percent to 1.7 million vehicles. Global sales of the Volkswagen brand fell by more than 1 percent to around 4.8 million cars. Porsche, another Volkswagen Group brand, reported that deliveries in China fell by 28 percent last year. Worldwide, 310,718 Porsches were sold last year, which represents a decrease of 3 percent.

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