[TusharK]

BMW has delivered 9,641 cars in 2019. These included 641 units of the Mini. BMW Motorrad registered total sales of 2,403 bikes.



According to BMW, the locally-produced BMW X5, X3 and X1 contributed to 50% of the total sales. The demand for the 5 Series and 3 Series was also high.

The locally built Mini Countryman contributed over 70% in Mini India's sales.

In the bike segment, the G 310 R and G 310 GS had a share of over 85% in the yearly sales. Models like the R 1250 GS / GSA, the BMW F 750 / 850 GS and the BMW S 1000 RR were also popular.

Link to Team-BHP News

[vb-saan]

Quite a good show I must say! Their product portfolio is pretty strong and with the new 3 and upcoming X1 face-lift, they should be going strong this year as well.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Quite a good show I must say!

Not when you consider that the numbers are significantly lower than 2018, and a bit lower than 2017 (source). But then, the market was damp in 2019.

German luxury carmaker BMW on Thursday said it has sold 11,105 cars (BMW + Mini) during last calendar year in India, up 13 per cent as compared with 9,800 units in 2017.

I'd be curious to know how many sales those ugly grilles are costing it. There is no way I'd even consider some of the BMW models due to their ugly faces. Reminds me a bit of the Bangle days (loved how the E60 drove, but would never buy it due to the quirky design).

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by GTO

Not when you consider that the numbers are significantly lower than 2018, and a bit lower than 2017 (source). But then, the market was damp in 2019.

Yes, with the market situation in 2019 I was not expecting a figure close to 10K, especially with the 3 in its last leg.

Originally Posted by GTO

I'd be curious to know how many sales those ugly grilles are costing it.

That might have worked for them; in our market brash looks (especially for SUVs) probably are considered as a plus. Personally, I feel the X5 and X7 especially looks like Dinosaurs with that big face

[bj96]

Originally Posted by TusharK

BMW has delivered 9,641 cars in 2019

That 9641-st car must be my X3 . I closed the deal on 28th Dec and all loans and margin money etc paid and they punched the sale in BMW system by 31st evening. Going to take delivery of my blue dream 4 hours from now and over 4 decades after I came to being on this planet.

Originally Posted by GTO

I'd be curious to know how many sales those ugly grilles are costing it.

Looks are subjective. I kinda like those wide-sheepish-grin on the face look. Two decades back friends discouraged me to go for Type-1 WagonR saying tall boy looks half finished. But I went ahead with the purchase, later same car became Maruti’s top seller.

-BJ

[GTO]

Mercedes is way, way ahead of BMW. Full press release:

India’s largest luxury car brand Mercedes-Benz continued its leadership position in the Indian luxury car segment for the fifth year in a row, by achieving sales growth in Q4 2019, setting the momentum for 2020. The company recorded its highest ever Q4 selling 3871 units, thus registering a 3.3% y-o-y growth for Q4, and was able to achieve sales growth in a challenging market. Amidst strong macro-economic headwinds, Mercedes-Benz India sales volumes in Q4 also grew by 15.41% from Q3 2019 and the overall sales volume remained at 13,786 units from January-December 2019.

Key Highlights –

· Bucks the market slowdown witnessed in the first three quarters, by posting growth in Q4 2019

· The AMG and Dream Cars portfolio continued its stellar performance growing by 54%, reiterating the brand’s leadership in the performance segment in India

· Overwhelming customer response to the CLA, GLA and GLS models in 2019 | New generation of all these models will be available in India from Q2 2020 onwards

· C-Class and E-Class joins the ‘Connected Car’ family with Mercedes me: MercedesBenz is the only luxury car brand having all its cars connected

· Mercedes-Benz India also transitions completely into BS VI portfolio with petrol and diesel

[aniyo]

I am not sure to be happy or sad about it. Merc in China sells about 1,80,000 a quarter. Wow we surely lag behind China in domestic consumption one of the many reason our economy is struggling.

[laser2707]

This is a real eye-opener for me. I am reasonably clued into matters automotive but I had no idea Merc sells so less in India. Let's round off their reported numbers to 14K, a quick search of their website shows 93 M-B partners (assume they are all dealers who sell cars). This works out to 150 cars per dealer or 12 cars per month per dealer.

It really makes me wonder how do the dealers keep the lights on? I am sure the Math must be even worse for the other brands - BMW, Audi, JLR.

No wonder they are slowly giving up on the India story. Some time back there was a TBHP thread on given a choice which automobile dealership would I take up? My choice - Mercedes. Obviously I had not done my due diligence!!!

[avishar]

Originally Posted by laser2707

No wonder they are slowly giving up on the India story. Some time back there was a TBHP thread on given a choice which automobile dealership would I take up? My choice - Mercedes. Obviously I had not done my due diligence!!!

I don't think they are anywhere close to giving up on the India story, they are on a great run. Their sales this year is lower than their 15,000~ they managed for the last two years, but it is in-line with the overall downturn.

They are very expensive cars in India compared to other markets with an average price-tag of over Rs 40 lakh, and they are almost outselling VW!

It will take sometime for the luxury market to 'break-out' and reach developed market levels of market-share. The Indian luxury market has broken out once from the early 2000s, when it was the preserve of the ultra wealthy, unlike now when it is seen to be accessible to any moderate successful businessman or professional.

[Stribog]

Originally Posted by laser2707

This is a real eye-opener for me. I am reasonably clued into matters automotive but I had no idea Merc sells so less in India. Let's round off their reported numbers to 14K, a quick search of their website shows 93 M-B partners (assume they are all dealers who sell cars). This works out to 150 cars per dealer or 12 cars per month per dealer.

It is also a function of price. The max tax even on super luxury units is 40% in India. Here even C2 segments above 4mtrs comes up to 40-45% all in.

The price of a C class (for comparison) starts at some 25l inr equivalent on road. In India we are looking at what? 36-38l?

I personally believe these taxes are fair for our economy as 90% of the pop lives on less than 10k a month.

Also Googled up their stats for 2009 and Merc sold around 100,000 units, and in 2007 it was less than 40k units. The jump happened because the govt cut taxes substantially on automobiles and even had cash schemes for old cars.

Now imagine an India where an Audi A4 sells at 25l, and then see how the sales numbers will be. This would also mean D segment sedans will be in the 17-24l mark so our roads will be even more crowded than they are.

Finally their Economy is 4x larger so we really are behind. Though I think the govt should hit hard on Auto sales in cities with metro systems that are developing fast via things like parking cess, congestion surcharge etc as we definitely need less cars on our already congested roads and a lot more people taking public transportation.

[urajkumar]

Originally Posted by GTO

I'd be curious to know how many sales those ugly grilles are costing it. There is no way I'd even consider some of the BMW models due to their ugly faces. Reminds me a bit of the Bangle days (loved how the E60 drove, but would never buy it due to the quirky design).

That is what I also thought but when we were looking to buy a luxury sedan for my uncle this month, his first choice was a Mercedes Benz S class (his 4th actually as for him only Benz is luxury brand) but when we looked at S class next to Eclass we could not see a major difference between the two. So we then took a look at BMW 7 and yes the grill was huge but right from interiors to the overall stance & features were slightly ahead of the S. The backseat was better in BMW while front seat S had more space (rear seat only matters). The bmw looked fresher being a recent facelift and we got a better deal too as it was BS4.

Finally after a lot of deliberations, we took the 7 for one reason - it looked nothing like any other car(or any other BMW) on the road and it is unmistakably a 7 from any angle. The grill is also slowly growing on us. So yeah guess each to his own.

[bj96]

Originally Posted by bj96

That 9641-st car must be my X3 .

The last BMW sold in 2019. Feel free to admire and ogle as much you want





My salesman told me they sold over 80 Cars in December (most of them X1) alone. Considering Poona is a small town and automobile slowdown everywhere , I think it is a good number. BMWs are becoming popular and here to stay 👍.

-BJ

[sgm]

Originally Posted by bj96

The last BMW sold in 2019.

My salesman told me they sold over 80 Cars in December (most of them X1) alone.
-BJ

Congrats BJ on your X3.
I happened to notice 3 X1s in the last one week in Bangalore itself with temporary number plates, so the year end discounts and BS4 diesels clearance have really pushed the X1 sales up.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by GTO

Mercedes is way, way ahead of BMW. Full press release:

Yet sales for Mercedes are down 11.27% YoY!

https://www.thehindu.com/business/In...le30545534.ece

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by aniyo

Merc in China sells about 1,80,000 a quarter. Wow we surely lag behind China in domestic consumption one of the many reason our economy is struggling.

With taxes in India hovering at 50% for Mercs and BMWs, it kills the market here compared to China where the tax is just 10% for automobiles, the same car becomes much more easy to acquire.