Mercedes-Benz Says It Won’t Be ‘Stupid’ in Effort to Beat Lexus

Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz won’t be “stupid” in adding sales incentives to its cars as the company pushes to become the top-selling luxury brand in the U.S., an executive said.

Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus brand, helped by customer discounts in October, has remained the No. 1 selling luxury brand in the U.S. this year, a title it has held since 2000. Mercedes and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s namesake marque have gained on Lexus with new products as the Japanese brand deals with record recalls.