BMW emerges as South Africa’s top selling luxury car brand for third consecutive year

• The BMW Group sells more than 27,500 units in 2012 to top the premium segment for the third year running.
• More than one in every three luxury cars sold is from the BMW Group.
• Year on year, the MINI brand grew by 11.4% with almost 2,800 MINIs sold – another record year of sales.

Midrand/Rosslyn – The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) automobile sales results released earlier today have confirmed that BMW is once again South Africa’s favourite premium car brand in 2012.

This is the third consecutive year that BMW has been identified as South Africa’s best-selling luxury car brand. More significantly, when BMW results are combined with MINI sales figures in 2013, more than one in every three luxury cars sold was from the BMW Group.

The NAAMSA figures showed a total of 27,539 units registered in 2012, resulting in a 5.6% growth compared to 2011.

*Registration figures according to NAAMSA results released on 9 January 2012.

This performance resulted in the BMW Group having a total premium segment share of 34.0% and an overall market share of 7.6%.

“We are delighted that this is the third year in a row that BMW Group vehicles have been South Africa’s most successful premium cars. We can attribute BMW’s overall performance in 2012 to the high demand for the all-new BMW 3 Series – produced in Rosslyn for export markets around the world – as well as massive sales success for the new BMW 1 Series, the BMW 5 Series and the BMW X3,” says Bodo Donauer, Managing Director of BMW South Africa.

“Significantly 2012 was another record year for the MINI brand which continues to grow from strength to strength,” Donauer continues. “With a total volume of 2,794 vehicles registered – with MINI hatch and MINI Countryman sales driving this performance – our decision to further increase the MINI brand’s local footprint is justified. We have recently opened our first two stand-alone MINI Dealers – in Pretoria and Umhlanga – and the future looks incredibly bright for this exciting brand.”

Donauer believes the success of the BMW Group’s sales in 2012 can be attributed to one of the youngest premium vehicle model line-ups available and robust demand for the many new vehicles the company launched in 2012. At the same time, the company has won a number of brand and customer satisfaction awards in 2012.

“More than 60% of our current product line-up is brand-new,” says Donauer. “Furthermore, BMW was ranked first in the automotive sector and second overall - across all company categories – for customer satisfaction in the Ask Afrika Orange Index® Awards 2012. We were also named Coolest Car Brand and Coolest Corporate Citizen in the Sunday Times Generation Next Awards. I’m sure our expanded 3 Series export programme – which resulted in more than 600 new jobs at Plant Rosslyn – played a major role in these achievements.”

Looking ahead

Donauer says the BMW brand managed to be the best-selling brand in the premium segment in 2012 despite tough trading conditions and a great deal of hyper-competition.  “This year we will launch several other new derivatives and models which will stand the BMW Group in good stead in the coming year and should have a significant impact on our sales successes in 2013 and beyond,” says Donauer.

The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, the MINI John Cooper Works GP, the MINI Paceman and the refreshed BMW Z4, are all set for local launch in the next year.

“Whilst further changes in economic conditions may change the overall outlook for growth in 2013, I’m confident about what the year ahead holds both locally and internationally. With our exciting model line-up, as well as our local e-mobility initiatives which reinforce the BMW Group’s position as the world’s most sustainable automaker, I’m positive that the BMW and MINI brands will once again enjoy sustainable growth throughout 2013,” Donauer concludes.

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For any queries please contact:

Mr Guy Kilfoil

General Manager: Group Communications & Public Affairs

BMW South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Phone: +27-12-522-2204

Cell: +27-82-583-6262

Guy.Kilfoil@bmw.co.za

The BMW Group

The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI, Husqvarna Motorcycles and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 29 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2011, the BMW Group sold about 1.67 million cars and more than 113,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2011 was euro 7.38 billion on revenues amounting to euro 68.82 billion. At 31 December 2011, the BMW Group had a workforce of approximately 100,000 employees.

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 eight years.

Other BMW Group websites:

www.bmwgroup.com

www.bmw.co.za

www.mini.co.za

www.bmwmotorrad.co.za

Social Media Pages:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup (BMW South Africa, BMW Motorrad SA, MINISouthAfrica)

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup (@BMW_SA, @BMWMotorradSA and @MINISouthAfrica).

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupview (BMW South Africa and BMW Motorrad SA).