The BMW Group achieved its best-ever May in terms of sales with a total of 198,354 vehicles delivered to customers around the world, an increase of 5.3% on the same month last year. This continuing growth means the company’s automotive sales in the year-to-date are 5.0% higher than at the same point in the year in 2015, with a total of 935,288 vehicles sold globally so far this year.
“Our sales continue to show sustainable growth, well in line with our expectations,” said Dr Ian Robertson, Member of the BMW AG Board of Management with responsibility for Sales and Marketing BMW. “Our target is to ensure profitable growth in sales and thanks to our attractive model line-up, that’s what we are achieving,” he continued.
Sales of BMW brand vehicles totalled 168,129 in May, an increase of 5.6% on the same month last year. In the year-to-date, sales are up 5.0% with a total of 797,457 vehicles delivered to customers around the world. May saw strong growth in the sales of many BMW models such as the BMW 2 Series (16,823 / +47.6%), the BMW X1 (13,884 / +47.8%), the BMW X4 (4,947 / +13.0%) and the BMW 7 Series (4,539 / +32.4%).
Meanwhile sales of the brand’s recently introduced plug-in hybrid models continued to see sales grow, especially in markets which actively encourage customers to purchase an electric vehicles. For example, the BMW 330e iPerformance went on sale in Europe in March and already in May, almost every eighth BMW 3 Series sold in the UK and more than a quarter of all BMW 3 Series sold in the Netherlands was a plug-in hybrid version of the world’s best-selling premium model range.
MINI sales also grew in May with a total of 29,864 vehicles delivered worldwide, an increase of 3.6% on the same month last year. Year-to-date, MINI sales are up 5.2% to total 136,617 in the first five months. The brand’s main growth drivers in May were the MINI Convertible (3,604 / +116.7%) and the MINI Clubman, which was delivered to a total of 4,681 customers around the world last month.
In Europe, combined monthly sales of BMW and MINI totalled 91,347 in May, up 11.9% compared with the same month last year. Sales in Germany increased 14.3% (21,829), while a total of 7,218 MINI and BMW vehicles were delivered to customers in France (+12.3%) and a total of 7,005 vehicles were sold in Italy (+16.0%). Overall year-to-date sales for BMW and MINI in Europe total 432,545, an increase of 10.3%.
Asia also saw steady growth in BMW and MINI sales last month with a total of 58,725 vehicles delivered to customers in May (+6.3%). The region’s biggest market, Mainland China, achieved a 7.1% increase compared to the same month last year, with a total of 40,123 vehicles sold. Monthly sales in South Korea grew 14.4%, with a total of 5,250 vehicles sold, while customer deliveries in Japan increased 5.2% to total 5,264 in the month. In the first five months of the year, a total of 293,188 BMW and MINI vehicles were sold in Asia, an increase of 6.2% compared to the same period last year.
Sales of BMW and MINI in the Americas decreased 7.3% in May compared with the same month last year, with a total of 42,066 vehicles delivered to customers in the region. May sales in the USA are down 8.8% (33,612). Year-to-date sales of BMW and MINI vehicles in the Americas region total 180,099 which is down 7.9% compared with the same period last year.
Sales continue to grow at BMW Motorrad where May saw a total of 15,180 motorcycles and maxi-scooters delivered to customers, an increase of 1.2% on the same month last year. Year-to-date figures show an increase of 4.5% (65,761).
BMW Group sales in / ytd May 2016 at a glance
In May 2016 | Compared with previous year | YTD 05/2016 | Compared with previous year | |
BMW Group Automobiles | 198,354 | +5.3% | 935,288 | +5.0% |
BMW | 168,129 | +5.6% | 797,457 | +5.0% |
MINI | 29,864 | +3.6% | 136,617 | +5.2% |
BMW Motorrad | 15,180 | +1.2% | 65,761 | +4.5% |