Mercedes-Benz widened its global luxury-car sales lead in the first half of the year. The Stuttgart-based automaker sold 1.14 million cars in the six months through June, 14 percent more than a year earlier. BMW lagged behind with a 5.2 percent gain to 1.04 million vehicles. Audi registrations fell 4.7 percent to 908,950.
Mercedes-Benz’s registrations rose 11 percent to 209,309 in June as demand grew for the new E-class and the automaker’s SUVs. Sales of BMW brand vehicles rose 2...