2020 Mercedes-AMG sales running hot in Australia following A35, A45 S, GLC43, CLA35 and CLA45 S launches

One in every five Mercedes vehicles sold in Australia so far in 2020 has been of the high-performance AMG variety, which is the quite the achievement considering the obvious challenges this year has presented.

To the end of November 2020, Mercedes sold 26,305 vehicles, of which 4885 units were AMGs. In other words, the high-performance sub-brand had an 18.6 per cent share of the three-pointed star’s overall sales in the first 11 months of the year.

And to really put it into perspective, if AMG was its own standalone brand, it would’ve comfortably outsold the likes of Porsche (3850 units), Ram (3059), Haval (2894), Mini (2817) and Peugeot (1986), among others, to the end of November 2020, with Jeep (5087) within striking distance.

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That said, 2020 likely won’t be the best year for AMG sales when the December race is run, as that honour should continue to belong to 2017, when the sub-brand’s share was 21.0 per cent (7784 of 37,068 units). The next best is currently 2018’s 19.0 per cent (6118 of 32,201).

On a global scale, 2017’s AMG share was the highest of any Mercedes market at the time, with Australia otherwise consistently in the top three alongside Canada and Switzerland, with the UAE another key player.

And when AMG volume is the focus, Australia continues to rank in the top-six markets, which is a very strong result given its relatively low population. Once 2020 comes to an end, it’s therefore possible it will once again be the leader on a per capita basis.

For reference, AMG sales took a hit in 2019, with the sub-brand’s share decreasing to ‘just’ 15.0 per cent (4798 of 31,985 units), so 2020 has already surpassed both key marks, even though Mercedes’ overall volume was down 9.3 per cent to the end of November.

So, what’s underpinned AMG’s resurgence in 2020? New or facelifted models, and lots of them. In fact, the high-performance sub-brand’s five best sellers to the end of November were all launched in the past 13 months.

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The A35 small car led from the front, serving as AMG’s new ‘entry-level’ model, priced from $72,470 plus on-road costs, while the related CLA35 mid-size sedan ($85,600) finished in fourth place.

Then there were their big brothers, the $94,920 A45 S (hatch) and $111,300 CLA45 S, which claimed second and fifth position respectively. These four new models are among the most affordable AMGs on sale today, so it’s evident which end of the scale has driven the growth.

Taking home bronze and rounding out the top five was the GLC43 mid-size SUV ($115,000), with the first full year of its facelifted model’s sales proving to be strong; no doubt spurred on by buyer preferences continuing to shift to high-riding wagons – or ‘coupes’.