BMW has started 2025 with a clear message: it’s pulling even further ahead as the world’s top premium carmaker. In the first quarter of the year, BMW sold 520,142 cars under its core brand, a small drop of 2.0 percent compared to last year. But that was still far better than its main competitor, Mercedes-Benz, which saw a 4.0 percent drop and ended the quarter with 446,300 units sold — a number that includes Smart and Maybach models, which aren’t reported separately.
When you add in MINI and Rolls-Royce, the total BMW Group sales come to 586,149 vehicles, only 1.4 percent less than the same period last year. In the first quarter of 2024, BMW was ahead of Mercedes-Benz by 131,671 vehicles. This year, that lead has grown to 139,849 vehicles.
One of the key reasons for BMW’s success was its strong performance in Europe. Sales in the region went up by 6.2 percent, while Mercedes sales dropped by 7 percent. In China, both carmakers faced challenges. BMW sales dropped 17.2 percent, while Mercedes declined by 10 percent. Even though both struggled, BMW’s global results helped keep it ahead overall.
The biggest difference came in electric vehicles (BEVs). BMW grew its electric car sales by a huge 32.4 percent, reaching 109,516 BEVs in Q1 2025. This includes:
- 86,449 electric BMWs
- 22,813 electric MINIs
- 254 Rolls-Royce Spectres
Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz and Smart sold only 40,700 electric vehicles, a 14 percent drop compared to the same time last year. BMW’s electric sales were more than double that figure — even when counting just the BMW brand alone. [Source: BimmerToday]
