Dubai: With nearly 2,000 units of the flagship 7 Series sold and consistently high demand for the pricey X line-up made sure BMW retained the mantle of the region’s top premium car brand. The Group as such sold 15,797 units, including the Mini models, in the first six months, up 25 per cent over the same period last year.
Demand from the UAE continued to dominate, representing 50 per cent of the regional volumes. On whether the situation in Syria and, more recently, Iraq have hurt buyer sentiment in some of its markets, Johannes Seibert, the new regional managing director, said: “In Lebanon, we saw a dip in sales as the economy is indeed taking some strain from the political situation in surrounding countries. But our business in Jordan grew 39 per cent in the first-half — in fact our Jordanian importer achieved one of the highest growth rates of the region.”
The second-half of the year could see BMW step into overdrive, with Seibert confirming nine BMW and Mini models scheduled for launches this year. That would include the all-new version of the best-selling X6 (2,235 units sold in the first-half). This month sees the entry of the updated X3 and which will be followed by the all-new X4.
“It is for us ‘the year of the X’ — the X models are accounting already for more than 40 per cent of the regional sales volume,” said Seibert.
As for the first-half, the 5 Series notched up volumes of 3,367 units and was followed by the X5, with 2,526 units.
“Currently our importers are delivering the first units of the i8 hybrid sports car; although in 2014 only a few units of the i8 will be available, this launch is big for us and we are launching with BMW i a completely new brand.”
