BMW Group Australia completed its 41st year in business with positive growth across its brands despite the widespread impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with sales for 2020 finishing 0.9% up on prior year.
BMW was one of only four premium segment brands to record overall growth for the year.
Highlights across BMW model lines included growth for the 1 Series hatch, the 3 Series sports sedan, the 4 Series – which saw the introduction of an all-new coupé variant in November – and the X1. In addition, the 8 Series posted double digit growth, while the 8 Series Gran Coupé was up a remarkable 736%, all contributing to an 11% increase in registrations of BMW passenger vehicles.
Among BMW SUVs, which account for nearly 60% of total BMW sales, the X6 achieved growth of a whopping 253% and the X7 flagship saw an upsurge of 42% in registrations.
The MINI brand also enjoyed a strong December result with registrations up 30.3%. The Clubman model was a standout performer with year-to-date growth of 23.5%, while the versatile Countryman, the largest product in the model range with an all-wheel-drive option, also achieved growth of 3.5%.
Last year MINI also enhanced its line-up with launch of the first-ever Electric Hatch. The first allocation of this progressive fully electric model sold out within two months of going on sale.
BMW’s motorcycle business, Motorrad, also made a significant contribution to the Group results with 9.8% year-on-year growth.
During the year, BMW Group supported its successful product line-up with a range of new initiatives designed to elevate the customers’ experience. These were led by a new online sales functionality, which began with the MINI Electric Hatch ordering facility, and later with launch of BMW Shop. The latter, which is accessed via https://shop.bmw.com.au/#/ provides a fast and efficient way to secure a new vehicle.
In addition, numerous aftersales initiatives were launched in the wake of COVID-19 to further support customers. These included a free contract extension of BMW Service Inclusive, a complimentary service pickup and delivery and contactless Fast Lane Service – a specially adapted version of BMW’s renowned rapid turnaround vehicle service program.