Abu Dhabi Motors posts record sales

Dubai: Abu Dhabi Motors, exclusive importer of BMW, MINI and Rolls- Royce in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, recorded its highest sales for the first half of the year, selling 1,432 units between January and June 2008 - an impressive 56 per cent increase over the same period in 2007, and representing the highest growth rate in the GCC for BMW Group.

The top three selling models for the first half were the BMW X5, followed by the BMW 5 Series and the BMW 7 Series. The newly launched BMW X6, the world's first sports activity coupe, also enjoyed good demand in just over two months since its launch in April.

The sharp increase in sales is attributed to new product introductions coupled with the country's leading after-sales services, said Arno Husselmann, general manager, Abu Dhabi Motors.

"Following an impressive 62 per cent growth in the first three months of this year, Abu Dhabi Motors continues to be one of the leading importers for BMW Group products in the GCC, largely due to our aggressive expansion strategy and our unique after-sales and customer service offerings," Husselmann said.

Abu Dhabi Motors also sold a total of 173 vehicles during the period through its BMW Premium Selection programme.

The BMW Premium Selection programme is reserved exclusively for pre-used BMW vehicles that meet strict criteria. Vehicles need to be less than five years old, have a mileage of under 100,000 km and have been serviced by authorised BMW importers to qualify for the programme.

Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi Motors had begun the construction of the Middle East's largest BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce showroom. Situated in Abu Dhabi's Umm Al Nar district, the two-storeyed 34,100 square-metre showroom and customer services facility will cost over Dh220 million for construction alone.

Abu Dhabi Motors has also announced the launch of the BMW X6 xDrive50i, featuring a new 4.4-litre V8 engine with Twin Turbo technology, capable of producing 407 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque.

Later this year, the nation's capital will also welcome the all-new BMW 7 Series, which will move the benchmark for automotive engineering to a new standard through the implementation of BMW's robust EfficientDynamics technology to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emission, and a host of safety and luxury amenities.