BMW eyes record sales

MANILA, Philippines - BMW importer Asian Carmakers Corp. expects record sales this year with growth seen at a double digit rate.

Speaking to reporters, Asian Carmakers president Maricar C. Parco said that the highest BMW sales recorded for the Philippines is 800 units and they are eyeing to beat that figure this year.

Parco said that in general, the luxury segment remained insulated from the decline in auto sales. For the first nine months, the auto industry contracted but sales the luxury premium segment went up.

Performance for the first nine months showed sales of over 560 BMW cars, securing its 32-percent share in the premium segment.“There is growth momentum in the luxury segment because of new products. We launched X3 this year and the 5-Series last year,” Parco said.

Parco said they will maintain their status as the market leader in the luxury premium market. She said they have been the market leader for nine years now.

Their biggest seller is their 3-Series four door sedan which makes up 25 percent to 30 percent of their sales. The price of this is almost P3 million.

“At the core of BMW’s growth is the strength of its products, which carries the momentum upon which BMW has ridden its success,” said Parco. This increase in year-to-date retail sales (versus the same period in 2010) was powered by the strong performance of the X-Series, 7-Series, 5-Series and 1-Series.

The BMW X Series proves to be the best-selling SUV in the premium segment with total year-to-date unit sales at 158, chalking up 32-percent share of the SUV segment. Likewise, the flagship model 7-Series dominates with a 27-percent share of its segment, with year-to-date sales at 33 units.

The 5-Series saw the biggest growth in its segment with a 39-percent increase in sales over the same period of the previous year, while the 1-Series achieved the largest growth at 94-percent increase in sales, with a 49-percent share in its segment.

While the total automotive industry is down, the total premium luxury segment registered a three-percent increase during the first nine months of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010.

The upward trend of BMW local sales is reflective of the global performance of the leading premium car brand. BMW Global has reported its best September sales ever with a 9.3-percent increase in sales versus 2010, resulting in a 14.5 percent year-to-date growth in sales over that of last year. In September 2011 alone, BMW sold 128,446 units worldwide.

BMW Global reported 2010 year-to-date sales at 892,000, while it has achieved over 1,021,000 unit sales in 2011.