ASIAN Carmakers Corp. (ACC), official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, claimed last week that it topped the premium luxury segment in the auto industry anew in 2011.
Citing its sales reports, BMW/ACC said the BMW 1 Series led the brand in its campaign, selling 147 units, a 141-percent increase from the same performance last year.
The second generation of 1 Series was an instant hit when it was introduced into the market in November last year. The new “lines” concept, one for urban use and another for sports use, also increased the 1 Series’s share by 54 percent.
The increase in the 2011 BMW retail sales was also helped by the 5 Series, 7 Series and the X Series.
Posting a 19-percent overall growth for 2011, BMW sold 792 units in 2011, up from 664 units of the same date in 2010. This performance gave BMW/ACC a closing 33-percent market share in the premium luxury segment for 2011.
In December alone, BMW sales grew by a whopping 95 percent year-to-date. ACC President Maricar Parco said, “The BMW products are the core of our momentum, driving the brand forward in the Philippines.”
Parco added, “We strive to bring joy to our customers by continually improving our products and pushing the boundaries in order to meet the ever-changing demands of the customers. It is this focus on innovation and dynamism that has fueled our success and enabled us to achieve our present position in the market.”
The X Series, for its part, still proves to be the best-selling SUV in its segment, with 218 units sold in the year, a 33-percent share in the segment. The X3 still remains the favored choice in the premium luxury SUV segment, showing a 154-percent year-to-date sales increase.
The 5 Series also made an exceptional sales performance with a 67-percent increase, while the 7 Series is still the front-runner in its category, capturing 37 percent of the market and making an 11-percent increase in year-to-date sales.
Global performance
Around the world, BMW also continued in its upward movement. Closing 2011 for the BMW brand was a worldwide sales increase of 12.8 percent, or 1,380,384 vehicles sold.
Leading the BMW pack worldwide was the X3 with 117,944 vehicles sold or a growth rate of 156.4 percent (from 2010’s 46,004). The smaller X1 also reported strong gains with a 26.4-percent increase from 2010 sales, as with the 5 Series that came off with 46.3-percent increase compared to 2010 figures.
Full speed in 2012
With these figures on record, ACC predicts a much stronger, better-prepared BMW team for 2012. “We remain optimistic in our forecast for 2012 and expect to experience continuous growth. We plan to pursue our goals while being guided by the central BMW proposition, delivering joy to our customers,” explained Parco.
For 2012, BMW plans to launch the new 3 Series, its best-selling model before the 1 Series, and the flagship model 7 Series. Dealer expansion in the Southern Philippines is also in the pipeline for the strategic penetration of the product in the regions that have expressed high demand for BMW cars.
BMW has also been appointed as the official transportation for the 45th Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting to be held in Manila in May. BMW will provide a fleet of vehicles to transport the conference delegates in and around Metro Manila during their stay.
“BMW has been the undisputed leader in the premium luxury segment in the Philippines for almost a decade now. We plan to further build upon this by providing our customers with exceptional products, reliable service and unique experience that continues to define the BMW brand,” claimed Parco.
IN PHOTO -- New 3 Series Sedan Sport Line
