Mercedes Cuts BMW Lead in U.S. Luxury Sales as December Looms

Mercedes-Benz, seeking to retain its U.S. luxury-auto sales crown, narrowed BMW’s lead heading into the year’s final month, helped by demand for the redesigned C-Class cars.

Mercedes, a Daimler AG unit, delivered 34,578 vehicles last month, a 0.6 percent gain from a year earlier that included an 18 percent surge to 9,259 for the C-Class. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s BMW brand yesterday reported a 2.3 percent drop to 31,019 as sales of its sport-utility vehicles slid 14 percent.