BMW sets sales record in 2015

BMW’s sales seem unchallenged by world events. In 2015, BMW scored its most successful year ever for the BMW Group with annual sales climbing six per cent to set a new record for the fifth year in a row.

A total of 2,247,485 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles were delivered to customers around the world last year, an increase of 6.1 per cent on the previous year. December 2015 saw 213,537 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles sold (-0.8 per cent).

 “In 2015, we launched a total of 15 new or refreshed models and our results show that these innovative new vehicles are popular with customers,” commented Dr Ian Robertson, member of the board of management of BMW AG responsible for global sales and marketing BMW.

“Our sales grew consistently throughout the year, despite headwinds in some markets. We expect many of those challenges to continue into 2016, so it’s important we continue to respond flexibly to market conditions in order to maintain our success.” he continued.

BMW also achieved a fifth consecutive annual sales record, with the brand delivering 1,905,234 vehicles to customers in 2015, an increase of 5.2 per cent on previous year. The brand’s sales for December were close to the outstanding result of the previous year with a total of 176,681 BMW’s delivered to customers (-0.7 per cent).

Products throughout the BMW range achieved significantly higher sales in 2015, compared with the year before. Of the BMW 2 Series a total of 157,144 sold in the year. With a total of over 107,000 units sold, the BMW 2 Series Active and Gran Tourer accounted for over two-thirds of those sales.

BMW 4 Series sales increased 27.4 per cent to total 152,390. Deliveries of the BMW X4 more than doubled to a total of 55,050 (+153.8 per cent).

Overall, the BMW X family is a growth driver for the brand with sales of the BMW X5 up 14.1 per cent to total 168,143 worldwide. Deliveries of BMW X6 increasing by over 50 per cent to 46,305.

BMW i sales increased by 65.9 per cent in 2015 with a total of 29,513 units delivered to customers. This included 24,057 BMW i3s world-wide (+49.9 per cent) while sales of the BMW i8 reached a total of 5,456.

MINI achieved a new all-time annual sales record in 2015 with a total of 338,466 vehicles delivered to customers worldwide, an increase of 12 per cent compared with the previous year. A total of 127,194 MINI 3 doors were sold around the world in 2015 (+0.2 per cent) together with 94,788 MINI 5 door models. The new MINI Clubman, which went on sale in October, was delivered to 8,003 customers.

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars recorded its second highest sales record in the brand’s 112-year history. The Goodwood-based brand delivered 3,785 units (-6.8 per cent) to customers globally during 2015. Strong sales were reported worldwide, with the exception of China where significant headwinds have impacted on the entire luxury sector.

The new Rolls-Royce Dawn drophead was unveiled in September, breaking all previous records for pre-orders. First customer deliveries will take place in Q2 2016.

                                          BMW Sales by region

Almost one million BMWs and MINIs were sold in Europe in 2015. The region was a significant growth driver with annual sales totalling 999,669 (+9.4 per cent).

Many markets in the region achieved double-digit sales growth in 2015 with deliveries in Great Britain, BMW Group’s fourth largest market, up 12.7% (230,652) whilst sales in France increased 15.0 per cent (77,577). Southern European markets also continued recovering well with sales up 19.2 per cent (45,550) in Spain and up 12.3 per cent (71,173) in Italy.

The Americas achieved a 2.8 per cent increase in sales of BMW and MINI vehicles in 2015, with a total of 494,629 units delivered to customers in the region. In 2015, a total of 404,537 BMWs and MINIs were sold to customers in the USA (+2.2 per cent) while sales in Canada climbed 10.1% to total 42,052 and Mexico achieved a sales increase of 17.3 per cent (17,475).

In Asia, sales of BMW and MINI increased 4.2 per cent in 2015, with a total of 684,121 vehicles sold in the region. In 2015, a total of 463,736 BMW and MINIs were sold in Mainland China (+1.7 per cent). In South Korea, 54,575 customers took delivery of a new BMW or MINI, an increase of 17.6 per cent, while sales in Japan rose 8.1 per cent to total 69,199.

Once again, BMW Motorrad also sold considerably more Motorcycles and Maxi-Scooters in 2015 than in the previous year. It was the fifth consecutive year that the BMW Group’s Motorrad segment achieved a new all-time high. With 136,963 (previous year 123,495) vehicles delivered in 2015, BMW Motorrad achieved a growth of 10.9 per cent on the previous year.