If BMW were a team in the National Football League, with the season half over, we would be tempted to call 2016 a rebuilding year. Sales of BMW-brand vehicles were down in June: 10.3% off the June 2015 sales figures; a total of 28,855 BMWs left dealer showrooms in June, compared to 32,176 a year ago. For the year to date, BMW—the 2015 luxury-car sales champion—was down 9.0% from last year, with 153,436 deliveries compared to 168,623 during the first half of 2015.
“The mid-point to the year always brings some uncertainly about what may be ahead in the second half, so I’m very pleased to see several of our key models showing strong results in June,” said Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO, BMW of North America. “The X1 and X3 are indicative of the still growing trend toward Sports Activity Vehicles, but the numbers also show that great cars like the BMW 7 Series and 2 Series have a strong appeal and following.”
The specific numbers to which Willisch refers are the BMW 7 Series, sales of which were up 69.2 percent over June 2015, the BMW X3, which was also up over 69 percent, and especially the BMW 2 Series, which experienced a sales spurt of 139.4 percent over June a year ago.
For the year to date, BMW—the 2015 luxury car sales champion—was down 9.0 percent from last year with 153,436 deliveries compared to 168,623 during the first half of 2015.
BMW Group combined U.S. sales, which include BMW and Mini, totaled 33,769 units in June, down 11.9 percent from last year’s 38,350 vehicles. Year-to-date BMW Group sales have dropped about 10 percent from last year and stand at 178,580 as of the end of June.
Mini sales in the U.S. were 20.4 percent less than June of 2015.
The only bright spot was in the pre-owned category, where BMW Certified Pre-Owned vehicle sales actually set a June record at 10,158 vehicles, up 8.9 percent from 2015. Total BMW pre-owned sales in June also set a record at 17,240 units. In all, BMW pre-owned sales were up 6.0 percent year-to-date.
Mercedes-Benz, the current leader in U.S. luxury sales with 162,777 vehicles sold year to date, moved 28,473 vehicles in June. That’s fewer than BMW sold, but still enough to keep it comfortably ahead of BMW in the race for the premium sales crown. Lexus, the other luxury contender, sold 25,779 units in June.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
