BMW Group Canada sales momentum accelerates in March

BMW Group Canada reports 38% increase in March sales

RICHMOND HILL, ON, April 1 /CNW/ - BMW Group Canada (BMW and MINI brands combined) reported retail sales of 2,779 units in March, up 38% over the same period last year. Year to date, BMW Group Canada reported sales of 5,590 units, representing a 29% increase over the same period last year.

BMW Brand: BMW achieves record March with 43% increase.

The BMW brand set a March sales record with 2,455 units sold, an increase of 43% over March 2009. The top-selling model continues to be the 3 Series, followed by the X5 and X3 Sports Activity Vehicles. Year-to-date, the BMW brand reported retail sales are 4,916 units, an increase of 30% over last year.

BMW's xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system continues to increase in popularity with 70% of March BMW retails equipped with xDrive.

Sales of the diesel-powered BMW X5 xDrive35d Sports Activity Vehicle continue to surge, accounting for 34% of total X5 sales volume in March.

BMW Pre-owned posts March sales record.

BMW pre-owned reported the best March sales volume on record, with 1,064 units sold, a17% increase over the same period last year and up 15.9% year-to-date. BMW Certified Series accounted for 807 of the BMW pre-owned sales in March.

MINI Brand: March sales up 30%.

MINI brand sales of 324 units in March represent an increase of 6% over March 2009. MINI year-to-date sales total 674 units, a 24% increase compared to the same period last year.

MINI Pre-owned.

MINI's pre-owned monthly sales of 127 units represents an increase of 61% compared to March 2009, of which 66 units are MINI NEXTpre-owned vehicles. Year-to-date MINI pre-owned sales increased 31% over 2009.

BMW Motorrad reports best March on record.

BMW Motorrad Canada achieved an all time March record with 200 units retailed, an increase of 19% over the same period in 2009. BMW Motorrad YTD retails of 324 units reflect an increase of 37% over last year.

The BMW Group

The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 24 production facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

The BMW Group achieved a global sales volume of approximately 1.29 million automobiles and over 87,000 motorcycles for the 2009 financial year. The pre-tax profit for 2009 was euro 413 million, revenues totalled euro 50.68 billion. At 31 December 2009, the company employed a global workforce of approximately 96,000 associates.

The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last five years.

BMW Group Canada, based in Whitby, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW AG and is responsible for the distribution of BMW luxury performance automobiles, Sports Activity Vehicles, Motorcycles, and MINI. BMW Group Financial Services Canada is a division of BMW Group Canada and offers retail financing and leasing programs and protection products on new and pre-owned BMW and MINI automobiles, as well as retail financing for new and pre-owned BMW Motorcycles. A total network of 40 BMW automobile retail centres, 19 BMW motorcycle retailers, and 26 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country.

For further information: Barb Pitblado, Director, Corporate Communications, BMW Group Canada, Office - [phone], Cell - [phone], [email protected]; Rob Dexter, Specialist - Product & Technology, BMW Group Canada, Office - [phone], Cell - [phone], [email protected]