European sales of limousines and upper class vehicles were down 29% in 2020, to just over 29,000 deliveries. This trials the overall market and drops their share to 0.2% of the total European car market, down from 0.3% last year.
BMW dominates this segment in 2020 thanks to its two models and the upcoming model change for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The BMW 8-Series and 7-Series increase their share of the class to 47.4%, with just the 8-Series responsible for 1 in every 4 cars sold in this segment in Europe, as it jumps to the top of the ranking. The 7-Series is down 31% but holds on to 2nd place, but only because it outsold the S-Class in the last quarter. That leaves the former segment leader in third place, just when the new generation is getting ready. Both BMW and Mercedes-Benz are planning to launch EV versions of their flagship sedans in 2021, although they’ll be named as stand-alone models: BMW i7 and Mercedes-Benz EQS.
The Porsche Panamera loses almost half of its sales, partially due to cannibalization of the electric Taycan, while the Audi A8 outperforms the class at -19%. The Bentley Flying Spur jumps to sixth place thanks to the new generation, and it outsells its fellow Brit Jaguar XJ, which is due for a redesign including an EV version. In 2020, XJ sales dropped by 66%, making it the worst performer in the segment. The Maserati Quattroporte and Lexus LS also lost more than half of their already tiny sales volume, but the Rolls Royce Ghost saw almost stable sales despite the reveal of a new generation in the last quarter, for which deliveries only started in 2021.
| Upper class | 2020 | 2019 | Change | 2020 share | 2019 share | 2020-Q4 | |
| 1 | BMW 8-series | 7.486 | 6.640 | 13% | 25,7% | 16,2% | 1.397 |
| 2 | BMW 7-series | 6.346 | 9.248 | -31% | 21,8% | 22,5% | 1.629 |
| 3 | Mercedes-Benz S-Class | 6.239 | 10.571 | -41% | 21,4% | 25,8% | 1.480 |
| 4 | Porsche Panamera | 4.308 | 8.436 | -49% | 14,8% | 20,6% | 1.333 |
| 5 | Audi A8 / S8 | 3.648 | 4.477 | -19% | 12,5% | 10,9% | 905 |
| 6 | Bentley Flying Spur | 438 | 54 | 711% | 1,5% | 0,1% | 171 |
| 7 | Jaguar XJ | 247 | 724 | -66% | 0,8% | 1,8% | 26 |
| 8 | Maserati Quattroporte | 116 | 251 | -54% | 0,4% | 0,6% | 41 |
| 9 | Lexus LS | 98 | 248 | -60% | 0,3% | 0,6% | 23 |
| 10 | Rolls Royce Ghost | 89 | 92 | -3% | 0,3% | 0,2% | 19 |
| 11 | Bentley Mulsanne | 69 | 112 | -38% | 0,2% | 0,3% | 13 |
| 12 | Rolls Royce Phantom | 46 | 100 | -54% | 0,2% | 0,2% | 12 |
| 13 | Aston Martin Rapide | 34 | 86 | -60% | 0,1% | 0,2% | 3 |
| Segment total | 29.164 | 41.039 | -29% |
Car sales statistics are from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
Sources: Manufacturers, ANDC, JATO Dynamics.