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Best Luxury Car of 2018 – The Numbers are In

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Does it surprise anyone to know that Mercedes-Benz was once again the best luxury car of 2018 in the United States? The numbers are out and they effectively sold more than their biggest rivals Audi and BMW for the year.

luxury car of 2018
Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz: The Luxury Car of 2018

During 2018, Mercedes-Benz was able to sell 315,959 cars and SUVs. This put it just above BMW, but not by much. In fact, BMW managed to sell 311,014 vehicles during the same time. While Mercedes-Benz was able to hold their title, they faced their own set of challenges. Their sales dropped 6.3% from 2017 numbers. While they dropped in total sales, BMW went up 1.7%.

Following these two German automakers was Lexus, who clinched third place for 2018. They sold 298,310 vehicles with a 2.2% decrease over 2017. Audi retained their fourth place position with 223,323 cars sold. Finally, Acura landed in fifth among the luxury car sales with 158,934 cars and SUVs. This put them higher than Cadillac with 154,702 deliveries.

2019 Luxury Cars

In total, the luxury car sales in the United States went down 0.3% from 2017. That equaled a total of 2,027,312 vehicles. So what’s forecasted for 2019. We have a lot to look forward to this year, according to KBB. These are some of the cars they listed as the top-rated.

  • Audi Q5
  • Volvo XC60
  • BMW X6
  • Land Rover Discovery
  • BMW i8
  • Jaguar I-Pace
  • BMW M6
  • Volvo S90
  • Lincoln Continental
  • Genesis G90
  • Porsche Panamera

What we do know for 2019 is that there will continue to be a shift from passenger cars to SUVs. This will be the case with luxury cars as well. More people are turning to the larger design of SUVs for their families while others like the fuel economy of the smaller crossover models.

Of course, that isn’t stopping the luxury automakers from producing some high-powered sports cars for enthusiasts. On top of that, we should also see a shift with more electric models coming to market. The 2019 luxury cars sales are something we will be monitoring closely. Let’s see if they change much from the best luxury car of 2018.

2018 Paris Motor Show – Here’s What To Expect

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With the 2018 Paris Motor Show just around the corner, it makes sense to look at the upcoming preview of what we expect to see. Unlike many of the other shows, this late event tends to focus more on production vehicles rather than the concepts. Most of what we’ll see will go on sale shortly after.

There are going to be many significant debuts, but there’s also a large number of manufacturers that aren’t participating. Some of these include Aston Martin, Bentley, Mini, Ford, Lamborghini, Infiniti, Volkswagen, Volvo and Nissan.

Let’s take a look at the biggest news we expect this year during the 2018 Paris Motor Show.

Audi

2019 Audi e-tron electric SUV - left front view
The Drive

We’ll finally get a first look at the e-tron electric SUV. It entered production this month, but hasn’t been seen yet without camo. This SUV boasts of a 249 mile range.

The second-generation Q3 will also make an appearance plus the company plans to launch their A1 Sportback second-generation as well. This five-door hatchback is positioned below the A3 and probably won’t make it to America yet.

BMW

The most important event we’ll be watching is the debut of the 3-Series range. There’s going to be a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine model for the first time ever, but the majority of them will have a 2.0-liter four-cylinder instead. There’s also speculation of an electric 3-Series, but we aren’t expecting to see that this soon.

2019 BMW 8 Series - right side view
BMW

The company is also bringing back their 8-Series. We are hoping there might be a two-door convertible or four-door sedan shown in Paris.

In addition, they plan to show off the fourth-generation X5. Globally, it will feature four varying engine options.

Hyundai

While we had a look at the i30 Fastback in July, we’re about to take a closer look at the i30 Fastback N. It’s going to be similar to the Veloster N and i30 N with a similar output and visual enhancements. It’s also expected to use a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with an output around 247 horsepower.

Kia

We will get a look at the Niro EV which joins the PHEV and hybrid models of the Hyundai Ioniq. Korea already has the Niro EV on sale and it offers a range of 280 miles there with the help of its 64-kWh battery.

Lexus

The RC Coupe received a refresh for this upcoming year. Most of the changes are to the exterior and we’ve seen many of them already. In addition, the LC Limited Edition will be debuted in Paris. It has a sporty interior and exterior based off the sport-plus package.

Mercedes-Benz

The all-new A-Class sedan is looking to compete with Audi’s A3. This car is one that will actually come stateside, but we won’t see the hatchback model. The larger, B-Class MPV is also expected to be unveiled, but that’s a model we won’t see.

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE - left rear view
CNET

The brand-new 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE is one of the top debuts everyone is waiting to see. The company also plans to showcase the EQC, which is their electric model. It’s estimated to have a range of 279 miles.

Porsche

The Macan gets a facelift with some new exterior paint options plus slightly revised rear and front fascias.

Suzuki

Many people are disappointed to find out that North America will not receive the new Jimny, but we do get to see it at the 2018 Paris Motor Show.

VinFast

The new Vietnamese automaker plans to release an SUV and sedan equipped with previous BMW X5 and 5-Series engines.

Full Coverage of the 2018 Paris Motor Show

You can count on us to bring you complete coverage of the 2018 Paris Motor Show. It runs from October 4th through the 14th, so keep an eye on our site to see what’s new.

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