2017 was a great sales year for Mercedes-Benz, as the company took home the luxury sales crown against German rivals Audi and BMW. Mercedes is looking to carry this momentum into 2018, and so far the company is off to a tremendous start. Through the first three months of 2018, Mercedes has defended its sales crown with the strongest first quarter in company history. 192,558 cars were delivered to customers around the world, which represents a 6.6% increase over an already successful 2017.

Mercedes should be able to attract a new segment of customers with its new subscription service, Mercedes-Benz Collection, which allows customers to swap between vehicles. So what is currently contributing to all of this growth?
Obviously, SUVs have played a huge role in Mercedes' success. By April, the company sold 68,129 SUVs, which is 14% more than in the previous year. The new record mainly reflects high demand for the GLC, which increased in sales by 37.2% in April. The smaller GLA is also one of the best-selling models in the Mercedes lineup. SUVs weren't the only beneficiary, as the S-Class saw a 26.1% increase in sales, with 6,977 units delivered.

The company's small cars, including the A-Class, B-Class, CLA, and GLA also sold well around the world. Mercedes currently has eight models planned based on the new A-Class platform, which should help carry momentum through 2018 and beyond.