The limousine segment in Europe is down 19% in 2013, and the ranking is shuffled as buyers in this segment tend to be sensitive to having the freshest model on the market. Image is an important factor when you are paying north of 100,000 euros for a luxury sedan. The German premium brands traditionally rule this segment, and in 2013, 86% of limousines sold in Europe are German. This is by counting Rolls Royce as a British brand, despite its BMW ownership.
The newly introduced Mercedes-Benz S-Class is up 20% for the full year, but up a much more impressive 214% for the last five months of the year, when the new generation became widely available. The S-Class sold more than 1.000 units per month for each of the last four months and should be able to build on this excellent performance in 2014, increasing its lead on its rivals even further.
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