BMW IS NO. 1 PREMIUM BRAND
BMW Group Malaysia grabbed the No. 1 spot in the premium automotive segment last year after capturing 52 per cent of the market.
The group successfully delivered 11,016 vehicles from across the BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad brands, of which 87 per cent were locally-assembled.
It also introduced 25 model variants from across the three major brands, four of which were electric vehicles (EVs).
“For the first time ever, we are humbled to announce that our total deliveries were strongly led by our lineup of locally-assembled vehicles from the BMW and MINI brands in Malaysia,” said BMW Group Malaysia managing director Harald Hoelzl.
“Having surpassed the challenges presented in 2020, these figures inspire us to remain steadfast in our commitment towards furthering investments in the Malaysian automotive industry.”
Hoelzl attributed the group’s success to its quick adaptation and digitalising of its many existing touchpoints and services.
This was underlined by the introduction of the BMW Shop Online and the MINI eShop, alongside BMW Engage and BMW i-Renewal.
BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia reportedly financed more than 42 per cent of BMW vehicles, 45 per cent of MINI vehicles and 60 per cent of BMW Motorrad motorcycles delivered last year.
BMW Engage, a first-of-its-kind online financing platform, saw one out of
three financing applications being funded digitally towards the end of the year.
The new BMW i-Renewal service, in collaboration with Allianz General Insurance Company Malaysia Bhd, saw five per cent of owners purchase motor insurance through the online insurance platform, surpassing the current industry benchmark of two per cent.
“This success could not have been achieved without the support of our esteemed customers, our dealer network nationwide and the government that supported the automotive industry with the sales tax exemption. To them, we extend our utmost gratitude,” said Hoelzl.
“While our performance last year is also contributed by our operational strength and the ability to perform in a challenging environment as a team, our achievement was especially bolstered by the fervent loyalty of our customers.”
Locally, the BMW brand recorded 8,903 new owners last year to lead the overall premium segment by more than 47 per cent.
The deliveries were led by the topperforming BMW 3 Series portfolio that saw more than 2,500 units delivered while the BMW 5 Series contributed more than 1,600 units.
The BMW X range contributed more than 39 per cent of total BMW deliveries, charting 3,200 deliveries. This success was led by the BMW X1 models, which saw more than 1,000 new owners last year.
The BMW M portfolio saw 80 new owners from the six model variants introduced last year.
MINI Malaysia recorded 987 deliveries last year, taking five per cent of the Malaysian premium segment share. The deliveries were led by the MINI Countryman models, with more than 47 per cent contributed by the MINI Cooper S Countryman.
BMW Motorrad Malaysia recorded 1,126 deliveries with the Adventure segment attracting 670 new owners.
“We remain hopeful in the recovery of the automotive landscape in Malaysia this year. BMW Group Malaysia will also continue to delight our customers and fans, ensuring the complete premium ownership experience,” said Hoelzl.