China’s Wealthy Prefer Mercedes, Lesser Premium Brands Gaining

China, already the world’s largest car market for overall sales, is expected to surpass the United States in an even more crucial category by 2016: premium brands.

A new survey of China’s more affluent buyers this week reveals that while Audi is the country’s best-selling prestige brand, it is Mercedes-Benz that holds the fancy of wealthy and successful entrepreneurs.

Who prefers Audi, then? According to the Shanghai-based Hurun Research Institute, the four-ringed brand is most associated with high-placed government workers, while fellow German marque BMW is the favourite of China’s nouveau riche.

These details are the result of research into eight major luxury brands offered in China, surveying 800 luxury-car owners across 10 cities.