Audi, Merc and BMW: Three kings?

Teutonic trio argues the toss over who actually rules the luxury-car arena

German luxo heavyweights Mercedes, BMW and Audi used the Detroit motor show to engage in some corporate grandstanding, with each of the three staking their claim for leadership of the premium segment.

Mercedes-Benz sales and marketing boss Joachim Schmidt opened fire by pointing to 15 per cent global sales growth last year (for a tally of 1,167,700 vehicles), and claiming that the C-Class, E-Class and S-Class were the class leaders (no pun intended) in their respective segments during 2010.

Schmidt said a 9.6 per cent market share last year made Merc the No1 premium brand in the world, although Audi and BMW would within the next two hours make their own claims for luxo leadership.

Merc stopped short of showcasing the new C-Class (with 2000 new parts the company claims it's more than a facelift) at the Detroit show, even though it was revealed to a large contingent of journos at a function the evening before.

Instead, the three-pointed star rolled out the battery-powered SLS AMG E-Cell and B-Class F-Cell, announcing that the former would be available for customers to order from 2013 onwards. Officials nevertheless remained tight-lipped on potential pricing for the 392kW/880Nm electric supercar.

Meanwhile, a contingent of three B-Class F-Cells shortly embarks on a 20,000-mile World Drive that takes in 14 countries including Australia (where it will pass through Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth) to promote the fuel-cell message, and put pressure on governments to at least start thinking about a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

Schmidt suggested Merc's sales impetus in 2011 would be maintained by the updated C-Class sedan/wagon, the new C-Class coupe, along with the launch of the second-gen CLS and third-gen SLK. Later in the year Mercedes will also reveal its third-generation ML SUV.

Over on the BMW stand, the company's sales and marketing chief Ian Robertson made his own bullish statements as the new 6 Series Convertible and 1 Series M made their world debuts.

Robertson said it was the BMW Group (not the brand, but the portfolio comprising BMW cars games and bikes, MINI and Rolls-Royce) that was in fact the leader of the premium segment, with over 1.46 million vehicles delivered worldwide in 2010.

Robertson highlighted the success of the current 7 Series, which notched up 65,000 global sales in 2010 (said to be a record for the model), while the Mini brand also earned a record 234,000 sales thanks partly to the introduction of the new Countryman.

Rolls-Royce similarly had a bumper year, earning 2700 sales (170 per cent growth on 2009), fuelled by the introduction of the Ghost. Tellingly, 80 per cent of Ghost buyers are said to be new to the brand, which obviously means they've been lured away from other ultra-luxo marques.

Audi was not going to be left out of the chest-beating contest, and company boss Rupert Stadler was upbeat as the new A6 sedan was unveiled, along with a hybrid variant of the E-Class/5 Series-rivalling sedan.

The lighter, more frugal A6 follows in the wake of a 12-model offensive in 2010 that enabled Audi to post its best-ever tally of 1,090,000 vehicle sales during the year. Stadler boldly predicted this figure would swell to 1.2 million sales in 2011, but said the aim was "qualitative growth with real substance".

Stadler added. "In the US we want to become what we already are in Western Europe and China -- the No1 premium manufacturer."

So there you have it: Audi, Mercedes and BMW all have at least some claim to be being top dog in the luxury-vehicle stoush. All you need to do is read the fine print…

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