Munich. March 2019 was the best-ever single sales
month in the BMW Group’s history with a total of
263,319 premium BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles delivered to
customers, an increase of 2.8% on the same month last year. Across the
first quarter of the year, the company maintained sales at last year’s
high level, with a total of 605,333 (+0.1%) vehicles sold.
“The year is progressing as we expected, given the ongoing model
changeover of the BMW 3 Series sedan and headwinds in markets
worldwide,” said Pieter Nota, Member of the BMW AG
Board of Management. Since 1 April 2019 he is responsible for
Customer, Brands and Sales, a new role which encompasses the company’s
three automotive brands, BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce. “March was our
best-ever single month for sales. In several significant markets,
including China and the USA, we successfully grew sales, beating the
market trend. In the USA, BMW was the biggest-selling premium brand in
the first quarter of the year. The seventh generation BMW 3 Series
achieved a strong start in March and the global rollout will continue
in the coming months. It’s just one of many exciting new models which
I believe will support us as we focus on achieving sustainable,
profitable growth in a highly competitive environment.”
Sales of BMW brand vehicles increased 3.7% in March,
with a total of 221,631 delivered to customers worldwide in the month.
That result brings the sales total for the first quarter of the year
to 519,307 / +0.4%. As availability of the new BMW 3 Series sedan
ramps up, sales of the company’s best-ever selling car increased by
10.8% in March, with a total of 30,204 sold around the world. Growth
was also driven by the BMW X family of vehicles, with customer demand
increasing month by month – the X2, X3 and X4 are especially strong
performers, with double-digit increases in deliveries.
The BMW Group’s broad range of electrified vehicles
continues to prove extremely popular with customers. Demand for the
BMW i3 keeps on growing, with sales in the first quarter up 16.2%
(9,227). This makes it by far the most successful first quarter ever
for the innovative electric car, which was launched in 2013. The
company’s plug-in hybrids are also in high demand – more than a
quarter of all BMW 2 Series Active Tourer delivered to customers are
electrified, while close to 20% of all MINI Countryman sold have a
plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Meanwhile in Norway, one of the world’s
leading markets for electrified vehicles, pure electric and plug-in
hybrid vehicles account for around three-quarters of total BMW and
MINI sales. By the end of next year, the BMW Group will have
introduced ten new or updated electrified models. By 2025, the company
plans to have at least 25 electrified models on the market, 12 of
which will be fully electric.
MINI brand sales were slightly lower in March than
the same month last year, with 41,175 (-2.3%) delivered in the month.
Year to date, 84,820 (-1.8%) MINI brand vehicles have been delivered
to customers around the world. Next week’s Shanghai Auto Show will see
the world premiere of the updated MINI Clubman, while preparations
continue for the launch of the all new fully-electric MINI later this year.
Meanwhile at Rolls-Royce, after 2018 set a new
record in the marque’s 115-year history, sales growth continued into
the first quarter of 2019. A total of 1,206 Rolls-Royce motor cars
were delivered to customers across the globe (+49.4%) with growth
being seen in every region worldwide. This was driven by sustained
demand for all model families, with Phantom remaining a major growth
driver. Exceptional customer demand for Cullinan has resulted in a
strong order book, filled well into the fourth quarter of this year.
BMW Motorrad has also achieved a strong start to the
year with first quarter sales up 7.7% (38,606). In March, a total of
18,931 (+9.9%) premium BMW Motorrad motorcycles and maxi scooters were
delivered to customers around the world.
BMW MINI sales in the regions/markets
Despite headwinds experienced by the automotive industry in several
major markets, the BMW Group achieved sales growth in all three major
sales regions in March. The company bucked the trend in several very
significant markets with BMW brand sales in the USA and China, for
example, increasing 2.9% and 13.1% respectively compared with the same
month last year. The BMW brand leads the premium segment in the USA in
the year to date and the Chinese joint venture BBA saw strong sales in
the first quarter. Despite the ongoing competitive global market
environment and some other headwinds, we do expect to see increasing
momentum in terms of volume and mix as the year progresses. The
company continues to follow its strategy of prioritising profitability
before volume.
*Provisional registration figures
BMW Group sales in/ytd March 2019 at a glance
*BMW i, BMW iPerformance, MINI Electric
If you have any queries, please contact:
Corporate Communications
Emma Begley, Corporate Communications
emma.begley@bmwgroup.com
, Telephone:
+49 89 382-72200
Mathias Schmidt, Head of Corporate and Culture Communications
mathias.m.schmidt@bmwgroup.com,
Telephone:
+49 89 382-24544
Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email: presse@bmwgroup.com
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services.
The BMW Group production network comprises 30 production and assembly
facilities in 14 countries; the company has a global sales network in
more than 140 countries.
In 2018, the BMW Group sold over 2,490,000 passenger vehicles and
more than 165,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the
financial year 2018 was € 9.815 billion on revenues amounting to
€ 97.480 billion. As of 31 December 2018, the BMW Group had a
workforce of 134,682 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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