The Mercedes-Benz GLC is now Mercedes-Benz AG’s, Daimler AG’s passenger cars division’s best-selling model, overtaking the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, said the company in its H1 2021 sales announcement.

The development is not surprising, as the period between 2020 and 2021 is a period of transition for the company’s perennial best-seller - the outgoing W205 C-Class as it is being replaced by the all-new W206 C-Class in stages.

Also read: W206 Mercedes C200 to hit RM 300k price tag in Malaysia

The W205 C-Class was phased out last year and sales of the W206 C-Class only began in March this year. Many countries, Malaysia included, have yet to launch to all-new W206 C-Class.

Also read: W205 Mercedes-Benz C200 sold out in Malaysia, W206 C-Class confirmed to launch soon

Daimler didn’t reveal the sales breakdown by model but said it has collected 50,000 bookings for the W206 C-Class.

At its peak, the C-Class range saw around 400,000 unit sales annually, excluding coupe and cabriolet variants (but including wagons).

Also read: W206 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is bigger than G20 BMW 3 Series; cast your votes

In this period of transition, the GLC-Class has moved in to fill the void and the SUV is now best-selling car to wear the three-pointed star badge. The C-Class and E-Class ranks second and third place respectively.

Still, it’s not too far-fetched for the GLC to stay on top of the C-Class even after the latter has reached its first full-year sales. SUVs now account for about 35 percent of Mercedes-Benz’s global sales and within the company’s expansive portfolio of SUVs, the GLC is the champion.

Already, the C-Class is no longer that popular in many fast growing Asian markets. Japan prefers either the G-Class or A-Class, Korea prefers the E-Class and GLE-Class, and in greater China (including Taiwan), the GLC outsells the C-Class.

Also read: Mercedes-Benz C-Class is Malaysia's best-seller, but not so in the rest of Asia, this is the reason

In the first 6 months of 2021, Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz Cars division delivered 1,162,471 cars (including the now discontinued X-Class pick-up truck, plus the V-Class van).

On top of that, the company also delivered 20,253 units of Smarts, bringing Mercedes-Benz Cars’ total to 1,162,471 cars, up 25.1 percent from last year.

In comparison, archrival BMW Group sold 1,178,292 BMW cars, 157,799 MINIs, and 2,989 Rolls-Royces, bringing the group’s automotive total to 1,339,080 cars, up 39.1 percent from last year.

Also read: BMW just overtook Mercedes-Benz to lead H1 2021 global sales, because Daimler allowed it