Overview: the range from BMW, Mercedes and Audi

Contrary to what you might expect, it is not the volume brands that have the widest range. That honor has gone to the German premium brands BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi for years. In an attempt to bring some order out of the chaos, we again come up with an overview of all models of these car manufacturers.

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We made such an overview earlier in 2016, when Mercedes turned out to be the brand with the most models (or model variants) in its range. The reason for this new list is again Mercedes, which announced earlier today that the SL the place of the AMG GT Roadster is going to take. The brand wants to downsize a bit, but for the time being remains king of diversity when it comes to the car range.

The list below deserves an explanation, because it is not always possible to be consistent. For example, we have tried where possible to sweep body variants into one heap to keep an overview, but in various places we have nevertheless opted for the separate naming of certain versions. This is done because the line width is also limited and because this sometimes helps to keep an overview. For example, we mention the All Terrain and Allroad variations of Mercedes and Audi separately, which makes it extra clear that BMW does not have such a raised model.

There are also models that overlap and therefore actually have several competitors. The most fitting example is without a doubt the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door. That car overlaps considerably with its own CLS and, just like that car, is actually a competitor of the BMW 8-series Gran Coupé and Audi A7, but of the thicker variants. Apart from the stand-alone models from Mercedes-AMG, the models of the sports labels M, AMG and RS are not mentioned separately here.

Speaking of the 8-series: BMW is positioning the successor to the 6-series with the new name above the 7-series, but for the sake of competition we reverse that order. We mention Mini here and there in brackets, because BMW is the only one with a sub-brand that serves the lower end of the market.

It is also important to note that body styles are renamed in some cases. Where BMW separates the X4 from the X3 and the X6 from the X5, Mercedes simply adds ‘Coupé’ to the names GLC and GLE.

The choices made sometimes seem somewhat arbitrary, but assume that there is at least a story behind it. An overview that everyone can agree with does not seem possible in this case.

Notable differences

The diagram shows a number of striking things. When it comes to compact sedans, Mercedes has the A-class sedan and the CLA, while Audi is targeting the latter with the A3 and BMW is targeting the more coupé-like CLA with the 2-series. BMW is again the only one with a seven-seater midi-MPV, but Mercedes is the stubborn alternative to the GLB SUV, which is also equipped with three rows of seats. For the time being, this has not found a reply from the competition, although BMW and Audi have sporty compact SUVs in the range, unlike Mercedes. A GLA Coupé is not yet available, we already know an X2 and Q3 Sportback.

Yet it is abundantly clear that Mercedes is still going a long way in filling niches. The extra-long S-Class Maybach remains alone, as does the GLS Maybach. Mercedes is also the only company active in the commercial vehicle market, to which it owes the enormously spacious V-class and EQV passenger buses. The iconic G-class also remains a unique offering. Also striking: BMW is generally referred to as the sportiest brand of these three, but is at the same time the only brand in this overview that does not have a real sports car in the range.

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