German brands making hay in Spring

Both Audi and Mercedes-Benz have posted record sales figures in the first quarter of 2014, and both have just six years left to make good on a promise to be the best-selling luxury car brand by 2020. Which will blink first?

Well, Audi has had an exceptionally good quarter. Its global sales totalled 400,000 cars, thanks in no small part to a 37 per cent rise in the ever-voracious Chinese market for its products. Sales were up by 10 per cent in Audi's home German market and up by a similar figure globally. March alone was a spectacular month for the four-ringed brand, as it shifted 170,000 cars globally – beating its own previous monthly best (set in September of last year) by a full 20,000 units.

It’s the 51st consecutive month in which Audi’s sales have gone up, prompting marketing boss Luca De Meo to say “in March we achieved a double-best figure, completing the most successful first quarter in our company history with the strongest sales month ever.”

Over at Mercedes, things are looking similarly rosy. The Stuttgart giant came close to matching Audi with first quarter sales of 375,000 cars, which with the key C-Class on a runout must be considered a good run. That figure was 15 per cent up on this time last year.

Mercedes has also this week revealed a new model for its SL sports car range – the SL400. The new version replaces the old SL 350 with its naturally-aspirated V6 engine with a new turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol, featuring 328hp and claimed 39mpg fuel consumption figure.

Interestingly, rumours are circulating that Mercedes may not only twin the development of the next-generation SL and SLK in order to save costs on what are now quite slow-selling models, but those cars may ditch their folding hard-tops in favour of lighter, simpler, more compact soft roofs.