Deep-pocketed clients helped insulate the U.S. luxurious market from the brunt of the pandemic fallout final 12 months.

U.S. luxurious gross sales fell 11 p.c in 2020, in contrast with a 14 p.c slide for the general business. Luxurious manufacturers delivered 2,030,912 automobiles, accounting for a report 13.9 p.c of whole U.S. light-vehicle gross sales.

BMW defended its gross sales crown because the bestselling luxurious automobile model within the U.S. for the second 12 months in a row, whereas demand for hybrids and crossovers propelled Lexus to inch forward of Mercedes-Benz.

Regardless of stock shortages earlier within the 12 months, BMW rallied to take pole place in 2020, reporting 278,732 deliveries, down 18 p.c.

“There isn’t any doubt that 2020 was a difficult 12 months for automotive gross sales, however now we have discovered that these challenges have been due extra to the circumstances, slightly than shopper demand,” BMW North America CEO Bernhard Kuhnt mentioned in an announcement.

Lexus delivered 275,041 automobiles final 12 months — outselling Mercedes by a mere 125 automobiles. Lexus’ hybrid gross sales rose almost 2 p.c in 2020.

Mercedes reported 274,916 U.S. gross sales final 12 months, down 13 p.c from 2019.

Tesla, which solely releases global deliveries, is excluded from the outcomes as a result of the California electrical automobile maker doesn’t present mannequin gross sales by nation.

The market shift away from sedans is very pronounced within the luxurious phase, mentioned Eric Ibara, director of residual values at Cox Automotive.

Luxurious sedan gross sales fell 43 p.c final 12 months, vs. a 15 p.c decline in total automobile quantity, Ibara famous.

“You do not purchase a luxurious automobile since you want transportation,” he mentioned. “It is a assertion of standing, and the SUV higher conveys that.”

The luxurious phase, like the general business, rallied within the second half of the 12 months because the financial system sputtered again to life following manufacturing unit and dealership shutdowns as a result of coronavirus.

Porsche Vehicles North America had its second-best 12 months ever. The sports activities automobile model delivered 57,294 automobiles — down 6.9 p.c from 2019.

Globally, Swedish automaker Volvo had the strongest second-half gross sales efficiency within the firm’s historical past, in 2020. U.S. gross sales within the second half rose 15 p.c to 66,874 automobiles. Full-year deliveries have been up 1.8 p.c to 110,129, serving to Volvo edge out its former Ford stablemate Lincoln.

Volvo’s U.S. gross sales picked up sooner than these of its European opponents and the general business. Gross sales rebounded from the COVID-19 droop in June, and Volvo noticed year-over-year positive aspects in each month since.

“We determined early to be very aggressive within the southern a part of the nation,” Volvo Automotive USA CEO Anders Gustafsson instructed Automotive Information in October. “So the primary two or three months, the area was actually the locomotive of the corporate.”

BMW noticed its largest gross sales positive aspects within the closing 4 months, after dealerships reopened and stock ranges improved.

BMW bought 98,750 automobiles within the fourth quarter, down 2 p.c from the prior 12 months. Gentle vehicles, led by the X5 and X3 crossovers, accounted for 61.7 p.c of the model’s U.S. gross sales within the closing quarter.