[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW Group sales reach new all-time high in February

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March 10, 2017

169,073 vehicles delivered worldwide in February, up 3.1%
BMW sales up 3.0%, totalling 147,789
MINI sales grow 3.2% to 21,045
BMW Group sales in first two months up 4.9% to 332,369
BMW electrified models more than double in year-to-date
Sales growth achieved in all world regions

Munich. BMW Group sales grew further in February, reaching a new all-time high level of 169,073 vehicles delivered worldwide, an increase of 3.1% compared with the same month last year. With its three premium brands, BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group has sold a total of 332,369 vehicles since the beginning of the year, up 4.9%.

“The first two months of the year have seen growth in all major sales regions, despite the model change-over of the 5 Series,” said Dr Ian Robertson, Member of the BMW AG Board of Management with responsibility for Sales and Brand BMW. “February was an important month for us, with the market launch of the new BMW 5 Series. Initial sales of this benchmark car are strong and we’re confident that this model in particular will ensure increasing momentum as the year continues,” he added.

Sales of BMW brand vehicles grew 3.0% compared with February last year; a total of 147,789 BMWs were delivered to customers around the world. Sales for the brand so far this year total 291,347, an increase of 5.0%. Many models throughout the range contributed to this growth: in the first two months of the year, deliveries of the BMW X1 are up 36.1% (39,304), sales of the BMW X5 are up 15.8% (28,213) while deliveries of the flagship BMW 7 Series are up 34.7% (8,763).

Sales of the BMW Group’s range of electrified vehicles have shown very strong growth in the year-to-date, reflecting increasing customer interest in alternative drivetrain vehicles. Since the beginning of the year, more than 10,000 electrified vehicles have been delivered to customers worldwide, an increase of 110.1% on the same period last year. Sales of electrified models are set to increase still further with the introduction of the plug-in hybrid BMW 530e iPerformance, which goes on sale in mid-March, and the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 plug-in hybrid which will start delivery in June.

MINI also achieved increased sales in February: with a total of 21,045 vehicles delivered to customers around the world, sales were up 3.2% compared with the same month last year. MINI sales in the year-to-date are up 3.5% (40,611). The MINI Convertible (3,308 / +590.6%) and the MINI Clubman (7,630 / +37.4%) were the brand’s main growth drivers. The brand is set to grow still further during the year with the market launch of the MINI Countryman being rolled out from February.

In line with the BMW Group’s long-term policy of balanced global sales, all major sales regions have seen growth so far this year.

Deliveries of BMW and MINI in Europe are up 3.3% (138,666) in the first two months of the year. Growth was achieved in almost all markets in the region with sales in the UK up 4.4% (17,584) and deliveries in France climbing 6.3% (12,937).

Sales of BMW and MINI vehicles in Asia grew 9.0% in the year-to-date with 123,851 vehicles delivered to customers. Sales in the region’s largest market, Mainland China, rose 14.7% (92,045).

Overall BMW and MINI sales in the Americas remained stable with a 0.2% increase (58,277) compared with the first two months of last year. In the USA, a total of 45,931 vehicles were delivered to customers (-1.6%) while Canada grew sales by 2.5% (5,320).

February was also a solid month for BMW Motorrad with a total of 9,868 motor-cycles and maxi-scooters delivered to customers, an increase of 0.3% on the same month last year. In the year-to-date, sales total 17,371 units, an increase of 0.3%.

[keanu1]

http://www.autospies.com/news/Merced...Up-16-8-92067/

[hmd5859]

I would hope they are surpassing the goals. With The prices for parts and maintenance they charge. Not impressed at all.

[ginginha]

But it's not all roses:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/bmws-st...ngs-1489082364

The self-proclaimed ultimate driving machine has hit a pothole in the world’s most important luxury market.

BMW AG’s U.S. operation helped fuel the German auto maker’s rise, but it is now struggling to keep pace in the cutthroat American market. The company, whose BMW brand reported its first U.S. sales decline*in seven years, needs a jump start so it can fund a spate of ambitious technology products.

The maker of luxury and high-performance vehicles said*Thursday*that earnings cooled slightly in 2016, with its closely watched pretax margins in automotive operations slipping to 8.9%, from 9.2% in 2015.*The company blamed higher costs for new models, including electric vehicles, and technology for self-driving cars and other mobility services.

BMW had warned that its fourth-quarter results would be pressured by product introductions, write-downs on inventory and high research-and-development costs, but the decline in annual pretax earnings surprised analysts. It is a bitter pill for the brand, which lost the global luxury-sales crown to Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz last year for the first time since 2004.

The company’s U.S. division is struggling to carry its weight. While sales rose in Asia and Europe,*and at all three BMW brands, including Mini and Rolls-Royce in 2016, U.S. sales fell 9.5% for the BMW brand and 11% for Mini. The BMW brand’s first U.S. decline since 2009 during the financial crisis represented the biggest drop-off among auto makers selling more than 100,000 vehicles.

BMW hit the skids in the U.S. even as the broader luxury sector is growing and the U.S. market touched a record. Executives have said the 2017 5-series sedan, which was launched in February, is likely to help BMW regain strength in the U.S. market.

“I think it will help us in brand perception just as much as in simple sales,” BMW Americas head Ludwig Willisch said at*the Detroit auto show earlier this year. The BMW brand’s sales logged a modest increase during the first two months of U.S. sales compared with the prior year.

Mr. Willisch had been running the U.S. business until a management shift last month.

The 5-Series, however, is a sedan competing in a market where buyers are shunning passenger cars and snapping up increasing numbers of heavier vehicles amid low gasoline prices. Mr. Willisch said BMW is investing to add capacity at its South Carolina plant*to increase supplies of sport-utility vehicles.

BMW will need all the firepower it can get, particularly on the family-hauler front.

New SUVs from smaller luxury competitors, including Jaguar and Land Rover, have added pressure on BMW at the same time some of its hallmark vehicles—including the 5-Series—need to be refreshed. Jaguar Land Rover, owned by Tata Motors Ltd. of India, recently launched the F-Pace SUV, its first sport-utility; Volvo Car Corp., owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, has won critical acclaim and new buyers with a redesigned XC90. “We’ll just have to be better,” Mr. Willisch said. “We have to have a compelling offer.”
Brian Allan, senior director of Galpin Motors, a Los Angeles dealership that sells brands such as Lincoln, Volvo and Jaguar, said it doubled its sales of Jaguar vehicles in 2016, with sales of the F-Pace SUV accounting for 30% of the increase. Sales of Volvo vehicles rose 50% at the dealership in 2016, driven almost exclusively by the XC90 SUV.

Mr. Allan suggested German luxury-vehicle makers need to rethink how they package their offerings. He said features that are optional on some of the German brands are standard on Mazda Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. vehicles.

“People are becoming very aware they’re paying for a name over content,” he said.

Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with Edmunds.com, said luxury SUV sales overtook sedans last year, but BMW didn't have the product lineup to match consumer demand.

“Some of the smaller luxury auto makers like Jaguar and Volvo have used new SUVs to become relevant players,” Ms. Caldwell said. “Those two brands are lower volume, but they’re getting more attention because they sell lower priced vehicles for people who still want prestige.”

BMW said overall earnings before interest and taxes fell 2.2% to €9.4 billion ($9.9 billion) in 2016, declining 1.8% to €7.7 billion in the core automotive division. Net profit rose 8% to €6.9 billion and revenue climbed 2.2% to €94.16 billion.

[M3 Adjuster]

"People are becoming very aware they’re paying for a name over content,” he said. "

Mr. Allen is 100 percent correct!

no doubt... this is because for years.. BMW NA has been charging high prices for items that are optional equipment in other models ( USB slot, Navigation, car WIFI, back up camera, front and rear park distance control, Apple carplay, upgraded lighting.. etc).


@scott26 indicates a large SUV from BMW is right on time.. lol Seeing how the XC90 is doing .. BMW's reticence to bring a large SUV to market sooner is clearly a concern.

[palpatine_us]

With free maintenance going away, there is even less reason to purchase a new BMW- other than the roundel.

[AntDX316]

Yeah, BMW needs to make at least a rear view camera standard on all models but I assume they know anyone who can afford to talk about buying a new BMW can afford to pay for the rear view option.

I mean, the BMW is made of pure condensed quality though. If you work on the car yourself you will understand what I mean. I mean, if you work on the car yourself and work on other cars you will understand what I mean. The BMW standards are far beyond Toyota. They pack so much material and components where other manufacturers have nothing there. The door for example.

To go from Point A to Point B the wisest decision would be those hybrids that get 50mpg. If people do not care about vehicle quality and they need new with warranty why even buy a BMW eq. or higher?

If you aren't really on the gas a Toyota Prius can leave you at the light. You also pay the difference in maintenance that is like 3x higher than a Toyota version. You can change spark plugs like nothing on a Toyota but in a BMW, because it's built for weight distribution it would cost hundreds of labor just to change.

[conradb]

Originally Posted by AntDX316

Yeah, BMW needs to make at least a rear view camera standard on all models but I assume they know anyone who can afford to talk about buying a new BMW can afford to pay for the rear view option.

I mean, the BMW is made of pure condensed quality though. If you work on the car yourself you will understand what I mean. I mean, if you work on the car yourself and work on other cars you will understand what I mean. The BMW standards are far beyond Toyota. They pack so much material and components where other manufacturers have nothing there. The door for example.

To go from Point A to Point B the wisest decision would be those hybrids that get 50mpg. If people do not care about vehicle quality and they need new with warranty why even buy a BMW eq. or higher?

If you aren't really on the gas a Toyota Prius can leave you at the light. You also pay the difference in maintenance that is like 3x higher than a Toyota version. You can change spark plugs like nothing on a Toyota but in a BMW, because it's built for weight distribution it would cost hundreds of labor just to change.

What did I just read?

Rear view cameras are now federally mandated and standard on ALL new motor vehicles sold in the US for years now.

Are you sure you've "worked" on a BMW? I do racing and I'm my own mechanic. BMW is far from what I'd call "pure condensed quality." Is this why Toyota and Honda beat the living shit out of BMW in terms of reliability and ownership costs?

The wisest decision for a basic transportation automobile is the cheaper eco cars that are simple ICE powered vehicles. Hybrids cost more because of their dual drivetrains, and the reliability and ownership costs go out the window, comparatively. A turbo diesel could get 60mpg+

BMW isn't hard to service because it's built for optimal weight distribution. It's hard to service because they want you to pay them to service it.

[raysspl]

Blind spot monitoring should make its way as a standard feature too

[CSBM5]

Originally Posted by conradb

What did I just read?

Rear view cameras are now federally mandated and standard on ALL new motor vehicles sold in the US for years now.

That's incorrect. The law doesn't go into place until the 2018 model year (May 2018 is the actual cutoff date for requiring the cameras in the US). In the meantime, prior poster is correct in that BMW has been milking customers over this through various forced "packages" at numerous thousands in order to get a rear view camera (or even PDC in some cases).