Double-digit growth across group
BMW Group NZ finished 2021 with registrations for both of its brands notching up double-digit percentage increases as demand for electrified products grew.
A total of 1,827 new BMWs were registered last year for a 15 per cent increase on 2020’s total.
And Mini set a record with 848 new-vehicle sales for a 28 per cent year-on-year jump. Some 16 per cent of its cars registered were electrified to confirm New Zealand as one of the strongest global markets for the uptake of electrified Minis.
The Mini Electric Hatch with 138 sales and the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Countryman on 120 units were key drivers behind that figure. These figures represented 160 and 71 per cent increases respectively when compared to 2020’s totals.
BMW’s luxury X range continued its popularity with it making up more than 55 per cent of total sales. Last year saw the introduction of the X4 and X3, with the latter’s line-up now including the X3 xDrive30e PHEV and fully electric iX3.
These additions mean the X3 offers the widest selection of powertrains in its segment with petrol, diesel, PHEV and BEV variants.
BMW’s fully electric line-up experienced an upsurge with the addition of the iX and iX3 in December. The marque’s total BEV registrations climbed by 65 per cent.
Its electric portfolio will be strengthened in April with launch of the i4 in two variants – the eDrive40 and the first emissions-free BMW M, the i4 M50.
A 146 per cent increase in sales of PHEVs bolstered BMW’s electromobility drive with notable results including 67 per cent growth for 330e and a 44 per cent uplift for the X5 xDrive45e, and 68 newly introduced X3 xDrive30e PHEVs reached new owners in 2021.
Growth in electrified models meant every fifth BMW Group vehicle registered in 2021 was electrified, while every third Mini sold featured a form of electric propulsion.
The BMW M continued unabated in 2021 with a 27 per cent increase in sales. That also again confirmed this country as one of the top three markets globally for sales share for the M with one-in-four BMWs registered in New Zealand wearing the three-colour badge.
Karol Abrasowicz-Madej, managing director of BMW Group NZ, says the company supported its product line-up in 2021 with a number of initiatives.
These were led by an online sales functionality, which started with the Mini Electric Hatch ordering facility in 2020 and continued more recently with the launch of the all-new BMW Store.
The latter enables buyers to reserve a vehicle in four steps – model selection, paint choice, trim choice and preferred dealer. The process of purchasing a car can now be reduced to a few days.
“We were delighted to finish 2021 with excellent growth across many segments and to see such strong interest in our product across the BMW and MINI brands, in particular our range of electrified models,” adds Abrasowicz-Madej, pictured.
“We look ahead to building on these results as we continue to strategically expand our line-up with fully electric models, such as the BMW i4, and complement the influx of new vehicles with our commitment to deliver outstanding experiences for customers.”
