Audi sells fewer cars

Audi sold fewer cars than rival Mercedes-Benz for the first time this year in the latest sign that the sales rivalry among Germany's top luxury automakers is intensifying.

Deliveries at Volkswagen's flagship division rose 6.4 percent to 159,950 cars and sport-utility vehicles, the company said on Thursday, the best-ever September result for Audi but still falling short of its competitor.

Mercedes-Benz sold 162,746 models, the best-ever month for sales in its 88-year history and a 14 percent gain on year-ago levels, benefiting from the release of new models and surging demand in China.