BMW projects 5% sales growth this yr

MANILA, Philippines - Asia Carmakers Corp. (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, announced yesterday they will grow their sales by five percent this year as they launch the new series 3 this second quarter.

ACC president Maricar Parco said they want to sell 859 units this year. She said the five percent is a conservative projection given that they grew 19 percent in 2011 to 792 units.

Parco said their sales would depend highly on how the market would react to the new series 3. The series 3 is a compact executive sedan and its sales account for 30 percent of the sales of BMW.

ACC closed 2011 with a 33-percent share in the segment, solidifying its leadership in the premium luxury segment for the ninth consecutive year.

Consumer demand for the premium brand was evident in their steady growth with fourth quarter sales increasing 11 percent from the previous quarter. The month of December was the second-highest monthly performance for ACC in 2011 with a resounding 95-percent growth versus the same month last year.

 “The BMW products are the core of our momentum, driving the brand forward in the Philippines. We strive to bring joy to our customers by continually improving our products and pushing the boundaries in order to meet the ever changing demands of customers. It is this focus on innovation and dynamism that has fueled our success and enabled us to achieve our present position in the market,” Parco said

The increase in 2011 BMW retail sales was driven by the solid performance of the 1 series, 5 series, 7 series and the X series.

The BMW 1 series, whose second generation was introduced to the Philippine market last November, dominated its segment with year-to-date unit sales of 147, a 141-percent jump from last year’s figures.

BMW’s second best-selling model and the first to feature the new lines concept, being available in either the sport and urban line, the 1 series further increased its share of the premium compact car category to 54 percent.

The BMW X series still proves to be the best-selling SUV in the premium segment, with 218 units sold in the year, resulting in a 33-percent share in the segment.

The success of the X series is led by the BMW X3 which registered a year-on-year unit sales increase of 154 percent from 2010.

The BMW 5 series also performed exceptionally in 2011 with a 67-percent increase in year-to-date sales. Similarly, the BMW flagship model 7 Series continues to be the frontrunner in its category with 37 percent of the segment and year-to-date sales growth of 11 percent.