North American BMW sales rebounded with enthusiasm during the first quarter, with total deliveries growing 20.1% year-over-year from 64,692 to 77,718. Both the BMW and Mini brands saw sales expand by similar figures. BMW brand sales increased 20.1% year-over-year from 59,455 to 71,433, while Mini brand sales are also up 20%, from 5,237 units to 6,285. The numbers indicate positive momentum for 2021, which is both expected and welcome after 2020 saw BMW NA sales decrease by 18%.
Looking more closely at first-quarter BMW brand sales figures, BMW passenger car deliveries, a term which includes all of the conventional models plus the i3, i8, Z4, X1, and the X2, grew 15.3% from 30,582 to 35,262. BMW light truck sales, or rather, X3 through X7 sales, expanded 25.3%, from 28,873 to 36,171, and BMW SAV deliveries accounted for 58% of total sales.
“BMW has led the premium segment and increased segment share in the U.S. in each of the past two years based on the strength of our product portfolio and dealer network,” explained Bernhard Kuhnt, president and CEO, BMW of North America. “We are off to a good start in 2021 and are looking forward to a successful year ahead.”
The most popular current BMW model continues to be the X3, with 14,988 units sold during the first quarter in North America, a strong 41.2% increase over the 10,614 delivered a year ago. Following the X3 in terms of outright volume was the X5, which posted a 19.4% gain in sales from 10,638 units to 12,700. X7 sales grew 4% from 4,582 to 4,763.
Elsewhere, 4 Series sales more than doubled from 2,197 to 4,785 units, a gain of 117.8% which marks availability of the controversial new G22 chassis. BMW says the launch of the new M3 and M4 boosted sedan sales, but BMW’s bellwether four-door, the 3 Series, logged a decrease in deliveries from 10,613 to 9,426, or 11.2%. Sales of the BMW 5 Series on the other hand, grew 19.2% from 5,395 to 6,433. 7 Series sales also increased 13.9%, from 1,685 to 1,920.
The model with the largest year-over-year percentage gain was the 2 Series, aided in no small part by the Gran Coupé. BMW 2 Series sales increased by an incredible 199.5% from 1,772 to 5,307, proving there is indeed a market for the latest entry level model.
The Mini brand saw sales increase nearly across the board, with just only model, the Clubman, posting a decrease of 12.7%, from 583 units sold a year ago to 509 last quarter. Every other Mini model with the exception of the four-door variant of the Cooper and Cooper S saw sales increase by double-digit percentages.
BMW pre-owned sales decreased 2% during the first quarter of 2021, with deliveries down slightly from 52,943 to 51,874. BMW CPO sales grew 2.2% from 27,542 to 28,152. Mini pre-owned sales expanded 6.7% from 5,590 to 5,963, while Mini CPO sales increased 10.7% from 2,464 to 2,727.—Alex Tock
[Photos courtesy BMW AG.]
