Onslaught of New Models Help to Keep BMW Sales Strong
It doesn't take a lot of creative thinking to figure out why BMW's new X3 is becoming so popular. After all, it's good looking, fabulous to drive, extremely accommodating and priced lower than any SUV with a blue and white roundel on the hood to date.
 |
| BMW has an enviable problem with the new X3 SUV, demand is currently greater than the supply. (Photo: BMW Canada) |
Its popularity has caused problems for BMW, but nothing the plant can't handle. Production is being increased by 25 percent to keep up with demand, from 300 units per day to 400 in Graz, Austria's Magna Steyr facility. The plant, a production partnership for 4-wheel drive vehicles, will add a total of three shifts to keep pace with orders.
During the first quarter of this year BMW had delivered more than 11,000 units of the compact SUV, according to the premium automaker.
 |
| To satisfy the demand, production is being increased by 25 percent, from 300 units per day to 400. (Photo: BMW Canada) |
"After its successful introductory stage the BMW X3 is in vigorous demand in Europe and American markets," stated the German automaker.
BMW is expecting sales to rise with the introduction of the new model to the UK in May and Japan in June. The brand's largest single market, the United States, delivered 4,500 units during Q1 with Germany's 2,500 sales making it the number two market. Italy managed 1,000 X3s sold.
The automaker on the whole sold 113,000 vehicles during March, which is a new record up 5.6 percent from the third month last year. It's all the result of strong sales of the core 3-Series, plus a massive onslaught of new products coming from the Bavarian brand including an updated X5, an all-new 5-Series and the X3.
BMW's product offensive hasn't seemed to tax quality, being rated among the highest quality European nameplates by respected third party customer survey firms Strategic Vision, J. D. Powers and Consumer Reports.