Mercedes-Benz is poised to pass Volkswagen to become the top-selling import auto brand in Japan for the first time in 16 years, underscoring the nation's surprising boom in demand for luxury cars.
Deliveries for Daimler AG's Mercedes surged 19 percent to 32,680 vehicles this year through June, the Japan Automobile Importers Association said Monday on its website. Sales for Volkswagen AG's namesake brand, the leading import since 2000, fell 17 percent to 29,666.
Demand for premium cars has been rising in Japan as the benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average has almost doubled since the beginning of 2013. Luxury brands are outperforming the broader slumping auto market in Japan, and their success also stands in contrast to a recent slowdown in China, driven by a government crackdown on graft and conspicuous consumption.