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The BMW X5 is doing far more than turning heads this year. It has become America’s best-selling luxury vehicle, and it is spearheading a runaway lead for BMW. At the midpoint of 2026, the Bavarian brand has pulled well clear of its old rival Mercedes-Benz. The gap is anything but close.
The figures tell the story. BMW has shifted 186,944 vehicles so far in 2026. Mercedes-Benz managed 162,900 across passenger cars and vans combined. Lexus slots between them on 169,712 units. That leaves the three-pointed star sitting third in the premium pecking order.
BMW’s SUVs are carrying much of the load. The X5 leads the entire market, with sales up 23.7 per cent. The smaller X3 has surged by 29.8 per cent. Even the 3 Series saloon has found fresh momentum, climbing 32.3 per cent year on year. It is a broad advance right across the range.
Mercedes is hardly standing still, mind. The GLC remains its top seller, as it has been for years now. The GLE posted growth of nearly 30 per cent, while the GLB jumped a hefty 40 per cent. Both the car and van divisions improved in a softer first quarter.
Even so, Stuttgart trails last year’s mid-point tally by 3.2 per cent. A wave of new and updated models is on the way, which should help close that deficit. Overtaking BMW looks a tall order for the moment. Reeling in Lexus for the second, however, is well within reach before the year is out.
