BMW Performance Continues into 2010

BMW Group Canada reports 24 per cent increase in January sales

WHITBY, ON, Feb. 2 /CNW/ - Canada's top selling luxury car brand drives into 2010 with sales increases over January 2009 figures across the board. BMW Group Canada (BMW and MINI brands combined) kicked off year 2010 with strong retail numbers. BMW Group Canada reported January sales of 1,198 units, representing a 24 per cent increase over January 2009 sales.

BMW.

The BMW brand retailed 1,041 units during the month of January, an increase of 18 per cent over January 2009 figures. Top selling models continue to be the 3 Series followed by the continuously popular Sports Activity Vehicles X5 and X3. The 7 Series was another strong performer as this model garnered excitement throughout the month.

38 per cent of the X5 models sold last month were powered by BMW's clean Diesel technology, indicating Canadians' openness to alternative fuel solutions.

xDrive, BMW's intelligent all-wheel-drive system continues to be a highly popular option on the 3, 5 and now also on the 7 Series. A remarkable 70 per cent of total 7 Series sales in January were equipped with xDrive.

MINI.

The MINI brand sales saw a boost in January. MINI sales amounted to 157 units last month, representing a whopping 78 per cent or 69-unit increase compared to the same period in 2009. The MINI Cooper saw the highest sales increases of the MINI models.

Motorrad.

BMW Motorrad Canada retailed 54 motorcycles in the first month of 2010, a best ever January result and increase of 170 per cent over the same period in 2009. Contributing to this success of BMW Motorrad is the new S1000RR Superbike, as its popularity grows among a young demographic.

Pre-owned.

BMW pre-owned reported the best January sales on record. With the sale of 792 units, BMW pre-owned had a 23 per cent sales increase over the same period last year. 618 units of total BMW pre-owned sales were BMW Certified Series.

MINI's pre-owned monthly sales increased 18 per cent compared to January 2009 results, representing a total of 58 units, of which, 26 units are MINI NEXT sales.

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 more than 1.43 million automobiles and over 101,000 motorcycles for the 2008 financial year. Revenues for 2008 totaled EUR 53.2 billion, with earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of EUR 921 million. The company employed a global workforce of approximately 98,000 associates on 30 September 2009 .

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 25 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country.

For further information: Jochen Frey, 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]