Mercedes-Benz global sales extend lead over BMW

BMW is said to be trailing by 20,000 vehicles in the first half of the year.

Mercedes-Benz appears to be succeeding in its quest to displace BMW as the top global luxury brand.

Daimler's luxury division has delivered more than a million vehicles in the first half of the year, representing an increase of 12 percent over the same period last year.

BMW is not having a bad year, selling around 986,500 vehicles through June, though its six-percent growth rate has allowed Mercedes-Benz to extend a 20,000-unit sales lead, according to numbers cited by Bloomberg.

As the rivalry between BMW and Mercedes-Benz continues to grow, Audi appears to be firmly relegated to third place with 953,200 vehicles delivered in the first half.

Just last year Mercedes-Benz nudged aside Audi to take the number-two spot, propelled by 33 percent growth in China and strong performance in other key markets.

The luxury battle is far from over, with a margin of just two percent between BMW and Mercedes-Benz going into the second half of the year.