Mercedes Outsells Audi, BMW in July

Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz brand outsold rivals Audi and BMW in July, according to company data.

Mercedes sales surged 17% to 159,000 last month. BMW brand sales grew 6% to 147,500 vehicles, and Audi sales advanced 1% to 146,100 units.

Audi, which reported its numbers on Friday, notes its sales soared 20% in the Americas and rose 6% in western Europe. But demand dropped 9% in Asia Pacific and 3% in eastern Europe.

Last month's results narrowed BMW's lead in the first seven months of the year. The brand delivered 1.08 million units, up 5%, in January-July. Audi and Mercedes were virtually tied at 1.05 million for the period, with Audi surpassing Mercedes by only 272 vehicles.