BMW NZ recently hosted a business launch for a small group of motoring writers, including the AA, where they reflected on last year and gave us a sneak peek into what to expect for 2021.
Fortunately the year in review was quite a good one, and saw the BMW group (BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad) come out as one of the top premium manufactures for sales with a total vehicle registration tally in excess of 2,000 vehicles for 2020.
According to latest figures published by the New Zealand Motor Industry Association (MIA), BMW and MINI registered a cumulative total of 2,255 units in 2020, tracking 6.6% lower than 2019 figures, but ahead of the 22.5% drop experienced by the industry as a whole and the -13.5% shrink in premium segment registrations. The result is topped off by a staggering performance by BMW in December 2020, as registrations jumped 50.6% higher compared to the same period in 2019.
“2020 has been an extraordinary year for all of us, but we adapted to the times,” commented Karol Abrasowicz-Madej, Managing Director at BMW Group New Zealand.
“Our team pivoted our campaigns to boost the spirits of New Zealanders even as we entered lockdown, and further extended our offers to give customers more value.”
“In addition, we had several new product launches that bolstered our range, and together with the hard work of our team and our valued network of dealerships, we achieved this amazing result,” added Mr. Abrasowicz-Madej.
True to the BMW Group’s promise to increase focus on electrification, BMW iPerformance registrations performed some 400% better year-on-year in New Zealand thanks to expanded offerings like the 330e, 530e X5 45e and 745e providing enough range for an emission-free daily commute into and out of Auckland.
MINI
As a large and fun part of the BMW group, MINI also topped the market share charts in the segment thanks to highly-anticipated and critically-acclaimed MINI Electric Hatch. The new MINI Electric sales reached 18.5% of total registrations, making New Zealand one of the highest electrified markets for MINI in the world.
With its charming good looks, ‘supercharged’ go-kart handling and an environmentally-sensitive powertrain, the critically-acclaimed MINI Electric Hatch was without doubt the star of the year for MINI in New Zealand. Demand was so high that the entire 2020 ‘First Edition’ allocation was sold out prior to the car arriving in country!
Online shopping at your fingertips
BMW Group supported its successful product line-up with a range of new initiatives designed to elevate the customers’ experience. These were led by a new online sales functionality, which began with the MINI Electric Hatch ordering facility, and continues more recently with the launch of the all-new BMW Store.
The BMW Store allows interested customers to reserve a vehicle in just four steps: model selection, paint choice, trim choice, and the preferred dealer. A fully-refundable deposit is paid at the end of a process that takes just moments, and the entire process of purchasing a car can be reduced to just a few days.
It also includes a stock locator and online exclusives, such as the ability to place a reservation for the X2 Mesh Edition, the all-electric iX3 and the first-ever BMW iX that arrives in New Zealand in the second half of 2021.
The futuristic iX Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) EV is set to be perfect for the NZ lifestyle with an impressive range claim up to 600km on a charge, with the ability to fast charge from 0-80% in just 40 minutes and an equally impressive 2,700kg braked tow capacity.
While the iX3 (part of the X3 family) SAV will be landing with an all-electric range up to 450km, and has an adaptive recuperation further increase efficiency - energy is recovered during braking by intelligently adjusting the retardation level and the braking effect according to various influential factors.