Electrified models drive BMW Group NZ first half sales record

BMW Group New Zealand has recorded its strongest finish to the first half of 2021 for its BMW and Mini brands.

It registered 1567 units and achieved a 50.7% combined growth figure in new vehicle registrations compared with the same period in 2020.

The result comes on the back of the best sales month on record for BMW in June and electrified BMW models registered three times more volume versus 2020 while electrified models form almost 20% of total Mini sales, mainly through the Mini Electric Hatch and Mini Countryman Hybrid. 

BMW i and iPerformance models more than tripled registration figures compared with the first half of 2020.

BMW led the way for the group, registrations growing 53.4% year-to date (YTD) for 2021; Mini close behind with 44.7 growth for the same period, particularly for the Clubman and Hatch models with 71.4% and 50.7% uptick respectively in registrations versus the first half year in 2020.

That’s resulted in BMW Group outperforming (50.7% versus 47.2%) the premium segment and taking top honours in market share at 25%.

“We are happy with the way the market has developed in New Zealand; our extraordinary performance is impressive against the current global challenges,” BMW Group New Zealand managing director Karol Abrasowicz-Madej says.

“We have a strong dealer network in place (10 BMW dealerships and six Mini dealerships) in the North and South Islands, coupled with a young and exciting product line-up to offer customers, so we look forward to continuing to enjoy this positive momentum.”

The new BMW Store is set to further bolster the group’s New Zealand success, providing customers with a fast and efficient way to secure new vehicles online.

BMW saw segment leadership in multiple model lines, establishing a firm lead in the small and medium-sized segments with top registrations for the 2 Series Gran Coupé, 3 Series Sedan and 4 Series Coupé.

High-octane M and M Performance cars also maintained a strong performance in the first half of 2021 with a sales share of almost 30 per cent – meaning one in almost every three BMWs sold in New Zealand carry high performance M credentials. 

The company expects this strong momentum to continue in the latter half of 2021 with an aggressive product rollout planned.

Before the end of the year, BMW Group New Zealand will introduce a suite of new models, including the updated BMW X3 and X4, the new BMW iX3 electric Sports Activity Vehicle, and an updated Mini Hatch and Convertible range.

The highly anticipated BMW iX, built on BMW Group’s latest dedicated electric platform, will also arrive in New Zealand shortly and the dynamic electrified BMW i4 will follow closely with a market launch in Q1 2022.

Introduction of these next generation fully electric vehicles are in line with BMW Group’s long-term electrification and sustainability plans, aiming to have 12 fully electric models on the roads worldwide by 2023.