Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

BMW Group reports best February sales ever

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Munich. With 133,630 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand automobile­s delivered worldwide (+4.7% / prev. yr. 127,638), the BMW Group achieved its best-ever February sales result. A record number of 256,929 (prev. yr. 239,802) vehicles have been delivered to customers since the start of the year - an increase of +7.1% compared with the same period last year.

"In February the BMW Group achieved another healthy increase in sales and we intend to continue the positive developmen­t with exciting new models throughout the year", said Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing BMW. Robertson continued: "With the new BMW 3 Series GT, which premiered this week at the Geneva Auto Salon, we are expanding our highly success- ful 3 Series range with an innovative new model for our customers."

A total of 114,908 BMW brand vehicles were sold worldwide in February, an increase of +7.0% (prev. yr. 107,362). Year-to-date, sales are +9.2% higher at 222,207 vehicles than for the same period last year (prev. yr. 203,546). In the first two months of the year there was particular­ly strong demand for the BMW X1 with 23,118 units sold, an increase of 40.1% over the previous year (16,505). The BMW 3 Series has also been one of the growth drivers worldwide in the first two months with a total of 63,103 vehicles delivered, an increase of 26.2% compared to the same period last year (49,997). Demand for the BMW 5 Series continued to be strong in the first two months, with sales climbing +7.4% to 47,157 vehicles (prev. yr. 43,893). The BMW 6 Series also achieved solid gains with 3,271 vehicles sold year to date, an increase of 36.1% over the previous year (2,404).

The MINI brand reported 18,527 cars delivered worldwide in February (prev. yr. 20,021/-7.5%). In the first two months of the year, 34,391 MINI cars were delivered to customers (prev. yr. 35,789 / -3.9%). The MINI Countryman climbed to 13,645 cars, an increase of 9.6% compared to the same period last year (prev. yr. 12,448). The launch of the MINI Paceman in mid-March is expected to bring further momentum to global sales for the brand.

The BMW Group achieved growth in Europe last month with a total of 61,251 deliveries, an increase of 6.6% on the previous year (57,437). The company managed to offset headwinds in some European markets through gains in others, such as Great Britain/Ireland, where sales climbed 26.7% to 6,928 vehicles (prev. yr. 5,470), and in Russia where sales jumped by 28.0% to 3,261 units (prev. yr. 2,548). In Germany, BMW Group registrati­ons were at last year's level with a total of 17,960 (prev. yr. 18,213) vehicles. Year to date, registrati­ons in Germany have increased by 4.5% to 36,841 vehicles (prev. yr. 35,241). In the first two months of the year, BMW Group sales in Europe increased by 7.3% to a total of 111,868 vehicles (prev. yr. 104,268).

In Asia, deliveries climbed 6.3% to 36,879 (prev. yr. 34,701) vehicles last month. A total of 23,449 units were delivered in Mainland China (prev. yr. 22,916 /+2.3%). Year to date, sales have climbed 9.0% in Mainland China to 53,846 vehicles (prev. yr. 49,421). Other Asian markets, such as Japan (7,605/+10.0%) and South Korea (5,718/+27.9%) reported significan­t rates of growth in the first two months of the year, to contribute to a total of 79,993 vehicles (prev. yr.: 71,123) sold in Asia year

to date.

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