Abu Dhabi first-half sales for BMW race to a record

BMW sold more than 5,000 cars in Abu Dhabi in the first half of the year. That is a record.

Abu Dhabi Motors, the German car maker’s sole licensed distributor in the emirate, said yesterday that the sale of 5,677 vehicles represents a 39 per cent gain from a year earlier.

Sales of the company’s BMW and Mini marques were up 57 per cent, while the Rolls-Royce marque moved at a more stately pace, gaining 6 per cent from a year earlier.

“Here in the capital, it is our higher-end models, in particular our BMW X models, that continue to drive growth,” said Arno Husselmann, the general manager of Abu Dhabi Motors.

“Also our Mini sales have blossomed. Since the start of 2014, we have delivered 190 vehicles to customers, which accounts for an 18 per cent increase in sales compared to January-June last year. We continue to be among the top dealers in the world for Rolls-Royce with a 6 per cent growth in sales a remarkable achievement considering 2013 was an incredibly successful year and we have the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II to come.”

In 2013, Abu Dhabi Motors posted a 15 per cent increase in sales but predicted bigger things for 2014 once supply issues had been managed. With two new BMW models fighting for space on the forecourts later this year, it intends to build on the booming car market in the UAE by extending its showrooms in Khalidiya and Al Ain. It also plans on adding a Mini facility in Al Ain.

Abu Dhabi Motors has also been awarded “group importer” rights for Algeria, where it intends to mirror the Abu Dhabi model. However, matching the capital’s consumption of top-end vehicles will be hard to replicate.

“Many of our customers in Abu Dhabi are among the highest net worth households in the world, and are well travelled, so they know what they want and they want the very best of any brand they buy into,” said Mr Husselmann.

“As a result, it is our top-of-the-range models that continue to perform the best, namely the BMW X5 sports activity vehicle, X6 sports activity coupé and BMW 5 series. The BMW X3 has experienced an 85 per cent increase in sales, so far delivering 690 vehicles to customers.”

The BMW models that are being introduced later this year are the BMW X6, which the company describes as a “sports activity coupé”, and the X4 sport activity vehicle. “We are confident the premium mid-size segment will be shaken by its arrival,” Mr Husselmann said of the latter.

BMW’s group importer for Dubai and the northern emirates is AGMC.

Worldwide, BMW is the top manufacturer of luxury cars, ahead of Volkwagen’s Audi unit.

ascott@thenational.ae

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