Reversing a downward trend from the last couple of months, BMW sales in the U.S. in June 2017 inched up 0.4% for a total of 28,962 BMWs delivered. The brand is still down 2.8% for 2017 to date, selling 149,086 vehicles total compared with the 153,436 sold during the first six months of 2016.
The new G30 BMW 5 Series Sedan is picking up steam. Dealers moved 4,068 5 Series in June, a whopping 42.9% more than June of last year when the 5 Series was the dated F10.
The BMW X1 continues to be a hot seller, with 3,221 deliveries in June representing a 62.5% increase over a year ago. The BMW X5 keeps putting up great numbers, with 4,589 of the currently largest BMW Sports Activity Vehicles sold in June, a 14.2% jump.
2017 is turning into a not great year for many automakers selling vehicles in the U.S. market, and the outlook for the rest of the year is less-than-rosy.
“The volatility that has characterized much of early 2017 is likely to continue through the second half of the year, requiring an even stronger focus on the quality of our business to achieve the desired results,” said Bernhard Kuhnt, President and CEO of BMW of North America. “We’re pleased to see the new BMW 5 Series sedan continues gaining strength as availability increases, and our Sports Activity Vehicles, especially the X1 and X5, remained strong favorites in June.”
Total BMW Group sales in the U.S. were down 1.2% due to a big drop-off in Mini sales. Mini USA reported 4,410 of the compact premium cars sold versus 4,914 in June 2016. That's a 10.3% decrease.
The other bright spot for BMW was in pre-owned vehicles. Following the trend of many months, people kept buying pre-owned BMWs in June. Certified Pre-Owned BMW sales reached 10,948, a 7.8 percent boost from June of last year. The total number of all BMW pre-owned vehicles delivered in June reached 18,615, an increase of 6.9%. For the first half of 2017, 119,651 pre-owned BMWs went out the door, which was a significant 21.1% jump over the first six months of 2016.
Mercedes-Benz reported its best-ever June for U.S. sales, and it did beat BMW in the monthly race, but only by 32 vehicles. The other perennial premium sales contender, Lexus, trailed BMW in June sales by 4,567 units.
Audi posted its 78th consecutive month of record sales in June and its third-best month ever in U.S. sales. Still Audi sold only 19,416 units in June, about 9,500 fewer than BMW.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
