BMW Group Canada achieves 25 consecutive years of growth.

Richmond Hill, ON. BMW Group Canada (BMW and MINI brands combined) reported its best year on record with sales of 42,052 vehicles. These results represent the 25th consecutive year of growth for the BMW Group in Canada, and mark an increase of 10.1 per cent over 2014.  BMW Group Canada recorded December sales of 3,004 units, an increase of 0.7 per cent compared to December, 2014.

“There is a very long list of successes the BMW Group achieved in Canada in 2015,” said Hans Blesse, president and CEO, BMW Group Canada. “With our 2015 results, we achieved a quarter century of consecutive sales growth. We broke our previous annual sales record with our November results. We remained a global sales leader of heart-stopping, high-performance BMW M products. We celebrated the one year anniversary of BMW i sales in Canada. The MINI brand sold more vehicles than it ever has, and with its third new-generation model launching in January – the MINI Clubman – is entering the premium compact segment, a large segment in which it did not previously compete.  And, we offer a tremendous range of fuel-efficient, low-emission, premium vehicles.  From the BMW i3 to the BMW X5 xDrive 40e, Canadians can find a vehicle that suits their mobility needs, minimizes their environmental footprint, and never compromises on the joy of driving. After all, the BMW Group is at the heart of every single one of our products.”

BMW.

The BMW brand secured its best year on record with 35,002 units sold, a 6.7 per cent increase over 2014. The brand reported sales 2,479 vehicles in December, a decrease of 1.9 per cent compared to December, 2014.

BMW’s Sports Activity Vehicles (the BMW X1, X3 and X5) and Sports Activity Coupes (the BMW X4 and X6) were strong contributors to the brand’s success in 2015. While 15,268 SAV and SAC models were sold over the course of the year (up 3.1 per cent from 2014), the company expects even more success from these models in 2016 thanks to enhanced manufacturing plant capacity. The BMW 3 Series and 4 Series also remained a foundation for the brand and continued to drive sales.

BMW M models continued to attract performance enthusiasts throughout 2015, and positioned Canada as the fourth-largest M market in the world. Two new BMW M products will come to Canada in 2016: the all-new M2 Coupe, and the exclusive BMW M4 GTS. A limited number of the M4 GTS units will be available around the world; Canada will receive 50, the second-highest number of units for a single market globally, behind only the US and ahead of both Germany and the UK.  With the buzz growing over these two new M models, 2016 promises to be another high-performance year for BMW in Canada.

Perhaps the most-important event for the BMW brand in 2015 was the launch of its completely redesigned flagship sedan, the BMW 7 Series. Featuring industry-leading innovations and ground-breaking technology (such as Gesture Control, which enables the driver to access certain vehicle functions by simply moving his or her hand above the centre console), the new 7 Series continues to set future-oriented standards in the automotive industry as a whole.

MINI.

MINI Canada also achieved a new record. Sales of 7,050 units for the year not only represented a 31 per cent increase over 2014, but also the first time the brand sold more than 7,000 units in a single year in Canada. This growth rate earns MINI Canada the title of “fastest growing automotive brand in Canada” for 2015. December results were 525 units, an increase of 15.4 per cent compared to December, 2014.  In total, MINI broke its monthly sales records in eight of the twelve months of 2015.

The MINI brand moved from strength to strength throughout 2015. Based on the brand’s new vehicle architecture, the new MINI 3 door and MINI 5 door continued to lead the sales charge to the 7,000+ figure. Brand exclusivity increased over the course of the year as well, as two new stand-alone MINI facilities opened their doors – MINI Ottawa and MINI Oakville.  The MINI community remains at the heart of the MINI brand, and enthusiastic customers and friends of the brand helped double the size of MINI Invasion back in August, an event celebrating the MINI community, customers, and heritage.

MINI now looks forward to the arrival of the new Clubman, due in Canadian showrooms later this month, and the new MINI Convertible, arriving in time for the open-top driving season.

Motorrad.

BMW Motorrad Canada reported sales of 2,015 units for the year, up 3.9 per cent compared to 2014, an all-time record for Motorrad in Canada. December sales were 35 units, down 62.4 per cent compared to December, 2014.  Despite a difficult December, the brand surpassed the 2,000-unit mark for the first time in its Canadian history, and reported its best sales year ever.

While sales across the BMW Motorrad lineup exceeded expectations, particularly noteworthy was the brand’s strongest selling model in 2015, the perennially popular R1200RT. The R1200GS and GS Adventure models and S1000RR were also strong contributors to the brand’s annual success.

The Motorrad family is now looking ahead to the 2016 BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy event in February and March in Thailand. At this event, a Canadian GS Trophy team will compete on a world stage riding specially-prepared versions of the renowned R1200GS in a supremely challenging off-road event.

BMW Group in Canada

BMW Group Canada, based in Richmond Hill, 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 46 BMW automobile retail centres, 21 BMW motorcycle retailers, and 30 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country.

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For more information, please contact:

Barb Pitblado, Director, Corporate Communications

BMW Group Canada

905-428-5005 / barb.pitblado@bmwgroup.ca                              

Rob Dexter, Product and Technology Specialist

BMW Group Canada  

905-428-5447 / robert.dexter@bmwgroup.ca