Sales of limousines in Europe were down 6% in 2019 to just over 41,000 sales which makes this the second consecutive year of decline for the segment but the annual volume is still above that from 2008 to 2016. Traditional leader Mercedes-Benz S-Class is down a harsh 26% and is in danger of losing its top spot to the BMW 7-Series in 2020 as the S-Class will get a redesign this year while the 7 is still fresh from a facelift and has the momentum, having outsold its rival in Q4. The last two times the BMW limousine finished on top were in 2009 when its previous generation was just launched the year before and the Mercedes was facelifted and in 2012 just before the current S-Class was launched. In third place we find the Porsche Panamera for the third consecutive year, down 11% and outsold in Q4 by the BMW 8-Series, of which the Gran Coupe hasn’t even started customer deliveries. This makes the 8 a real contender for the segment podium, unless Porsche can deliver enough Taycan EVs in 2020.
The Audi A8 is down 23% despite being one of the freshest models in the class as the new generation obviously has failed to strike a chord with limousine buyers in Europe. This is the second lowest annual volume for the A8 since in launch in 1994, after the 4,150 sales in 2009 when the second generation was about to be replaced. The Jaguar XJ is about to be replaced by an all-electric limousine, which is expected become a real limousine for chauffered drive duties in Jaguar’s tradition instead of a sporty upperclass vehicle like the Porsche Taycan. The Maserati Quattroporte is down 45% and just ahead of the Lexus LS again, which briefly peaked in 2018 thanks to the new generation, but is already down 61% again in 2019 as it’s difficult to break the German domination in this class. The Bentley Mulsanne is about to be phased out in favor of more upscale versions of the recently renewed Flying Spur. Still, the Mulsanne outsold the Rolls Royce Phantom, down 42% and the Rolls Royce Ghost, down 19%. The Aston Martin Rapide managed a small uptick after its lowest annual sales in 2018.
Also check out 2019 limousine sales in the US, where the S-Class also rules ahead of the 7-Series, but homegrown hero Cadillac CT6 is on the podium as well.
| Limousine segment | 2019 | 2018 | Change | 2019 share | 2018 share | |
| 1 | Mercedes-Benz S-Class | 10.571 | 14.373 | -26% | 25,8% | 33,1% |
| 2 | BMW 7-series | 9.248 | 9.552 | -3% | 22,5% | 22,0% |
| 3 | Porsche Panamera | 8.436 | 9.454 | -11% | 20,6% | 21,7% |
| 4 | BMW 8-series | 6.640 | 1.299 | 411% | 16,2% | 3,0% |
| 5 | Audi A8 / S8 | 4.477 | 5.791 | -23% | 10,9% | 13,3% |
| 6 | Jaguar XJ | 724 | 1.099 | -34% | 1,8% | 2,5% |
| 7 | Maserati Quattroporte | 251 | 459 | -45% | 0,6% | 1,1% |
| 8 | Lexus LS | 248 | 636 | -61% | 0,6% | 1,5% |
| 9 | Bentley Mulsanne | 112 | 108 | 4% | 0,3% | 0,2% |
| 10 | Rolls Royce Phantom | 100 | 171 | -42% | 0,2% | 0,4% |
| 11 | Rolls Royce Ghost | 92 | 113 | -19% | 0,2% | 0,3% |
| 12 | Aston Martin Rapide | 86 | 74 | 16% | 0,2% | 0,2% |
| 13 | Bentley Flying Spur | 54 | 359 | -85% | 0,1% | 0,8% |
| Segment total | 41.039 | 43.488 | -6% |
Click on any model to see its annual sales from 1997-2019 and monthly sales from 2016 to 2020, or use the dropdown menu in the top right of this site.
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.