BMW Group sales in Asia reached a new record last year with 78,527 cars (previous: 61,166), an increase of 28.4%. BMW cars contributed 67,888 units (previous: 61,155) – also a new high – while 10,639 Mini cars were delivered to Asian customers.
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BMW claims that the figures make the BMW Group the leading premium car maker in Asia and the BMW brand, the number one brand in its segment of luxury cars with one out of every five luxury cars sold in Asia last year, being a BMW.
BMW said that sales of the 7 Series jumped nearly 88% to 8,683 units. X5 sales grew by 50% to over 4,000 units while the 3 and 5 Series also managed increases over their previous year’s sales.
Speaking at a press conference to release these figures, Dr Michael Ganal (Member of the Board of Management, Sales and Marketing, BMW Group) said the company will build on these positive results: “In the medium term – that is in the next five years – we plan to double our sales in Asia from 78,000 units today to approximately 150,000 units in future.”
Dr Ganal also highlighted two new investments in Asia. In Malaysia, a joint venture is being negotiated with the Sime Darby Group.
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By GlobalDataIn China, BMW’s joint venture with Brilliance China Automotive Holdings, is planned to commence by the end of the year. The joint venture partners plan to produce BMW’s 3 and 5 series models in China at around 30,000 units per annum.
BMW also said that in 2003 it would become the first premium carmaker to sell cars under the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) scheme when the BMW 330iA models from Thailand are exported to Indonesia, while Indonesia exports the 530iA to Thailand. Both countries adhere to the AFTA scheme for cars, under which import duties must not be more than 5%.
On the issue of AFTA, Dr Ganal appealed to the region’s political and business leaders: “Please continue driving the realisation of AFTA forward and speed up the liberalisation of the markets. After all, the improved economic conditions that will attract investors to Asia, boost the economy and lead to more prosperity for the region”.
Also speaking at the event, Mr Lueder Paysen (Senior Vice President, Sales Division, BMW Group) noted that “the 7 Series remains the core product to further strengthen the brand image and increase the attraction of all our models”.
“With launch of the top of the line 760Li with our newly designed V12 engine in the 1st quarter of this year as well as the availability of new variants like the entry-level 730Li, we are determined to take advantage of the first full year of 7 Series production”.
BMW Group deliveries in Japan rose 26% to 45,275 units in 2002.
In the booming market of China, 6,677 BMW cars were sold in the mainland, an increase of 62% but BMW said sales were limited because of the restricted import quota licences for imported cars. Over 2,000 units of the 7 Series and more than 3,300 units of the 5 Series were sold in the Chinese mainland.
Hong Kong had a 69% increase in sales to 2,718 units of BMW and Mini cars.
In Taiwan, the BMW Group sales grew by 17% in 2002 with 6,078 units of BMW and Mini cars delivered to customers. However, the most significant achievement was its highest ever sales of nearly 1,400 units of the 7 Series last year.
Among all the BMW subsidiaries in Asia, BMW Korea saw the highest growth of about 88%, with sales of 5,101 units.
In Thailand, sales rose 27% to 4,049 units of BMW and Mini cars. The new 7 Series is now locally-produced in the wholly-owned BMW Manufacturing Thailand plant.
However, BMW said that sales were down in Indonesia, citing as cause ‘the difficult political and economic environment’. Sales in Indonesia declined ‘slightly’ to 2,276 units.
BMW Philippines reported sales up 37% to 685 units and Malaysia recorded an increase of 18% to 2,368 units.
(Sales aside, about 80 units of the 7 Series were this week chosen to chauffeur heads of state at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Kuala Lumpur.)
In Vietnam BMW sales increased from 87 units in 2001 to 200 units last year.
In Singapore BMW sales increased ‘slightly’ to 2,285 units
